2023: APC Sends Lawan, Akpabio’s Names to INEC

2023: APC Sends Lawan, Akpabio’s Names to INEC

By Kabir Akintayo

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has on Friday sent the names of Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for adoption as the party’s senatorial candidates for the 2023 elections.

The party, however replaced Machina’s name with that of Lawan who lost out at the APC presidential primary.

Machina, who contested for the Yobe North senatorial district and won, had vowed not to step down for the senate President, saying that the leaders of the party would not want to go against the constitution and the electoral act by replacing his name with that of Lawan.

Also, the name of Godswill Akpabio has been forwarded to INEC, this is coming against the ruling of the commission, which maintained that Akpabio’s name will not be recognized as the candidate for Akwa Ibom North.

The immediate past Niger Delta Affairs Minister, emerged the winner of a re-run primary conducted at Ikot Ekpene, and polled a total votes of 478 out of 512 accredited delegates for the election.

But INEC had insisted that, Akpabio is not APC candidate for Akwa Ibom north.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom state, Mike Igini, had said that, the only way Akpabio could become the flag bearer of the party for the senatorial poll was through the voluntary withdrawal, or death of the aspirant that had previously won the ticket.

The party, APC already forwarded names of all its Senatorial candidates to INEC in other to meet up with the June 17th deadline.