APC mounts pressure on Inec to postpone Zamfara polls but PDP insists they must go ahead

PRESSURE is mounting on the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) over what to do in Zamfara State after a recent high court judgement instructing the body to reverse its earlier decision and allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) contest elections in the state.

In December, Inec told the APC that it will not be allowed to field candidates in Zamfara State having missed the submission of candidate deadline. Under Inec's timetable, political parties had until October 7 to conclude their primary elections and the last day for the submission of lists of sponsored candidates was October 18 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and November 2 for governorship and state houses of assembly polls.

Due to endless infighting within the Zamfara chapter of the APC, the party has been unable to hold primary elections as several attempt to elect candidates have ended in rancour, with one even resulting in delegates exchanging blows. According to Inec, this means that the party will not be able to feature candidates in any election in the state, apart from the presidency where it has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its flagbearer.

However, in a reversal of fortunes, the APC secured a n appeal court judgement this week compelling Inec to enable it field candidates in the elections. On Saturday February 16, the National Assembly polls will take place for the senate and House of Representatives and on Saturday March 2, there will elections for governors and members of the state house of assembly.

Following the court judgement, the APC is now asking Inec to postpone elections in Zamfara State so it can organise primaries and field candidates. Apparently, the attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami, and the APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole, have written to Inec asking it to postpone the polls

However, the PDP chairman Prince Uche Secondus, has warned the electoral body not to go against the nation’s laws. He pointed out to Inec that it cannot foist the consequences of the negligence of one party on the over 80 political parties that are expected to participate in the elections.

Prince Secondus said: “First and foremost, we don’t want Inec to go against the laws, so our legal team is working on the line of action that can be taken. However, the party chairman of the APC cannot direct Inec to do the wrong thing, so, that’s why we have come to put the question directly that Inec must follow the law."

However, Inec has said it had not received any letter from the APC, stating that the purported letter from the attorney-general could be a fake document emanating from online media. This letter which was said to have been written to Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu and dated February 13, 2019, cited Sections 38 and 39 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2010 to support the argument for the postponement of the elections in Zamfara State.

Inec spokesman Oluwole Osaze-Uzezi, said: “We have not received the letter but when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. How am I sure that it is not one of those social media gimmicks? I can’t comment on something I have not seen, I have made enquiries from the Inec chairman and he said there is nothing like such letter and he has not received any such letter.”