Inec restores APC in Zamfara

The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) says candidates of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) can participate in the National
Assembly, governorship and state House of
Assembly elections in the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by
Festus Okoye, Chairman of the Information and
Voter Education Committee of INEC, issued on
Friday.
According to the commission, the decision is the
result of a judgment by the Court of Appeal in
Abuja on Thursday, which set aside the
judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja
for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part of
the lower court”.
The statement read: “The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
consistently maintained that it will always obey
court judgments and orders.
“In the case of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in Zamfara State, the Federal High
Court, Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court
issued conflicting orders relating to the
participation of the APC in the two strands of
elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th
March 2019.
“While the former ruled that the APC, having
failed to conduct party primaries cannot field
candidates in the said election, the latter
decided that it can field candidates having
conducted valid party primaries.
“However, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial
Division on 21st February 2019 set aside the
judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja for
‘lack or want of jurisdiction on the part of the
lower court.’ This in effect means that the
Zamfara State High Court’s decision that the
APC can field candidates for the National
Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly
elections is the only valid and subsisting order.
“Consequently, the Commission has today, in
compliance with the said order, restored the
APC to the ballot in the National Assembly,
Governorship and State House of Assembly
elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th
March 2019.”