The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe North senatorial district in the 2023 general elections, Bashir Machina, has vowed to seek redress in court over alleged substitution of his name with that of Senate President Ahmad Lawan, in the list sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the ruling party.
Lawan who contested the presidential primary of the APC and lost to Bola Tinubu did not participate in the party’s primary. The ruling party had written INEC that the senate president would be its nominee for the Yobe North senatorial seat.
However, Machina who contested the primary and won, vowed to go to court to challenge the attempt to steal his mandate after INEC recognised Lawan as the candidate of the APC for the Yobe North senatorial district.
Lawan’s name instead of Machina was uploaded on the commission’s server alongside other senatorial candidates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Machina, while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja appealed to the APC to correct the omission of his name or he would have no option than to seek legal redress if his name remains substituted with that of Lawan.
He reiterated that he was the elected candidate, adding that he did not withdraw for anybody.
Machina insisted that he would not withdraw because the mandate was given to him by party members and the delegates.
According to him, he decided to address the press because an abnormality and illegality was about taking place in the ruling party.
His words: “In the list sent to INEC, my name was found to be misrepresented. I don’t know whether it was erroneous, my name was not in the list of the names that was said to be presented today to INEC. For the avoidance of doubt, I remain the candidate duly elected of the APC Yobe North zone C senatorial zone.
“I am the elected candidate; I did not withdraw for anybody and will not withdraw because as a matter of right that is the mandate given to me by members of our great party, the delegates. So surreptitiously removing my name, I consider, is very undemocratic, illegal and of course inhuman.
“Insha Allah, I will take measures, first by reminding and appealing to my party that if this action is truly done, it should be corrected, especially if it is erroneously done. We are actually seeking for redress from the National Working Committee of our party under the able leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman, that there is an anomaly and we need it to be corrected.
“I remain the candidate and it remains so. I hope our leadership will take the necessary measures. We will work hard to exploit and explore all the necessary channels as provided by our guideline. In the event of the contrary, as Nigerian citizens and as law abiding citizens, the constitution of our country being the overall law above every aspect of our lives as Nigerians, I would have no choice but to resort to court (legal) action.
“This is what I intend to inform Nigerians through this medium, that an abnormality and illegality is about taking place, and it is undemocratic. This is a democratic party. It is always the will of the people that is supreme and the greatest justification of the will of the people is by casting their votes, as they did to elect me. This is a confidence reposed on me by the electorate in my senatorial district and this is the most minimal challenge I will face to defend their right.”
(Adapted from a report by THISDAY)
