The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented a certificate of return to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mohammed Mattawale, as governor-elect of Zamfara State.Six members of House of Representatives and three senators also received their certificates.
This followed the Supreme Court’s judgment sacking all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.Besides, the commission said that the number of certificates of return withdrawn due to court judgments had risen to 64 from 25 earlier announced.
Meanwhile, Chairman of INEC, Mahmoud Yakubu, has urged the political parties to adhere strictly to the internal democracy, which serves as guiding principle, particularly the conduct of the primaries.
Yakubu, who reiterated the importance of conducting proper primaries to reduce spate of litigation associated with them, said there are 809 pre-election cases pending in various courts challenging the conduct of primaries by political parties for the 2019 elections.
He, therefore, warned that the commission would not accept submission of names of candidates by political parties unless they comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
However, the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke with reporters after a meeting with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, described the Supreme Court verdict as a travesty of justice.
Oshiomhole questioned the rationale behind the verdict, which relied on technicalities rather than take cognisance of the overall wishes of the people of Zamfara State.
According to him: “How can you ask me how I feel if the people of Zamfara voted in the manner that they did and the court says that those votes were wasted. Meanwhile, at the time those votes were cast, a high court had ruled that those candidates were validly nominated.”
