Court bars INEC, APC from disqualifying Zamfara candidates

AState High Court sitting in Gusau has issued an interim order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from disqualifying the party’s Zamfara State candidates for the 2019 elections.

The order by Justice Mukhtar Yushau followed a suit filed by three executive members, including the party chairman in Gusau Local Council, Babangida Abdullahi, his Tsafe counterpart, Kabiru Chafe, and Sanusi Dan-alhahi.

The electoral umpire had last week banned the ruling party from fielding candidates for the governorship, state and federal legislative positions in the forthcoming polls.

In a letter to the national leadership of the APC, the Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led commission said the party failed to conduct primaries in the state before the October 7 deadline.

INEC noted that the report at its disposal indicated that no primary was conducted in the state despite the full complement of its officials. Owing to factionalisation of the state chapter of the party and other internal wrangling, the political group was allegedly unable to come up with a consensus gubernatorial candidate.

Incumbent Governor Abdulaziz Yari had backed Shehu Idris as his successor while another contender, Senator Kabiru Marafa, reportedly objected the move. The division had led to the dissolution of the Alhaji Lawali M. Liman executives by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC but still proceeded with own primaries to produce Idris and Yari as guber and senatorial candidates for the west district.

However, the report submitted to the national headquarters by the Major General Abubakar Mustapha Gana-led Zamfara Electoral Committee read otherwise.