The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it stands by the reports received from its state offices in relation to the party primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts.
It would be recalled that the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan lost his re-election bid to Senate in Yobe North as Bashir Machina picked the ticket while he was busying with his 2023 presidential aspiration, which he eventually lost to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (PDP).
Machina has been embattled over the senatorial ticket of the Yobe North district as some powers within the APC have been dragging the seat with him.
Also, Akpabio is currently suffering similar fate like Lawan in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District following his unsuccessful presidential bid.
But INEC in a statement issued by Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja on Saturday said that the attention of the commission had been drawn to speculations circulating online on the outcome of some of the recent primaries conducted by political parties and related issues.
He said that in particular, the allegations intended to impugn the integrity of the commission in respect of the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts respectively.
“To set the record straight, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandates the commission to monitor the organisation and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries.
“In line with its constitutional and legal obligations, the commission deployed monitors to the various constituencies and received reports of such exercise.
“In relation to the primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts, the commission stands by the monitoring reports received from our state offices.
“For this reason, the commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two constituencies at variance with the state reports.
“Right now, the commission is funtus officio in the two cases,” he said.
Okoye added that aggrieved parties were at liberty to approach the Federal High Court and seek redress as provided in section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.
On the issuance of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents, he said members of staff of the commission had been working hard, including weekends, to meet the deluge of requests received.
He said that as at Friday, the commission had processed 433 requests involving the certification 1,662,776 pages of documents.
The commissioner said that many of the processed CTCs were awaiting collection at the INEC Headquarters by some of the same applicants complaining of delay in its issuance.
“Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act provides that any person may apply to the commission for a copy of nomination form, affidavit, and any other document submitted by a candidate at an election.
“The Commission shall, upon payment of a prescribed fee, issue such person with a certified copy of document within 14 days.
“Persons applying for CTC of documents should endeavor to act timely and within the ambit of the law,“he said.
Okoye said that INEC would continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, including the deepening of the deployment of technology to enhance the credibility of elections.
