2023: Lawan’s Fate Undecided As INEC Publishes Final List Of Senatorial Candidates

The name of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was conspicuously missing after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on Tuesday.

The electoral body maintained that it failed to publish the name of any All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the section for Yobe North Senatorial aspirants due to the controversy that trailed the senatorial ticket after the APC submitted Lawan’s name to INEC instead of Bashir Machina who won the primary election monitored by the commission.

Meanwhile, the names of former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi who had similar issues were published.

The electoral umpire, however, indicated that it published Akpabio and Umahi’s names in compliance with the different court orders directing it to recognize them as the respective APC senatorial candidates for Akwa Ibom North West and Ebonyi South.

The Saga

Naija News recalls trouble started after Bashir Machina who won the Yobe North APC primaries refused to step down and give the ticket to Senate President Ahmad Lawan who contested but lost out at the party’s presidential primaries.

Machina maintained that the people voted for him and not Lawan.

Lawan was amongst aspirants who contested for the APC presidential ticket but suffered defeat in the primary election where the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu, emerged as the flagbearer.

It is understood that Machina was the sole candidate in the Yobe North APC senatorial primaries as other aspirants who indicated interest were told not to contest to enable Machina hold the ticket for Lawan in case he loses the presidential election.

However, Machina is unwilling to let go of the ticket and has so far refused all entreaties to hand over the ticket.