Breaking! Lawan, Umahi, Akpabio Kicked Out As INEC Releases List Of 2023 Senatorial Candidates

• Certifies Bashir Machina For APC Yobe North.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday released the list of candidates vying for various positions at the Federal level in the forthcoming 2023 General elections.

In the list sighted by The New Diplomat, Senate President Ahmed Lawan; former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio; and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi all failed to make the list of the electoral commission.

It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had on June 16 submitted to INEC, the names of its senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections.

Lawan, Umahi, Akpabio were all named on the senatorial list despite contesting for the presidential primary election of the APC.

The trio bought the presidential nomination forms of the ruling party and contested during the election, except for Akpabio who withdrew his ambition at the dying minute for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who later went on to clinch the presidential ticket.

In the official report of INEC dated June 23, 2022, and signed by the commission’s officer, Omale Samuel, showed that Bashir Sheriff Machina was recognised as the APC senatorial candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District in place of Senator Lawan.

It would also be recalled that Machina  scored 289 votes in the just-concluded primary election of the APC to emerge as the senatorial candidate of Yobe North.