By Remi Adebayo

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to publish the name and particulars of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as its candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

In an originating summon with suit number FHCIABJ/CS/555/2022, the APC is also seeking declarations that the INEC cannot publish any other name or the particulars of any other person as its candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections, except as nominated and submitted by the party.

The ruling party is also praying the court to declare that INEC, by virtue of Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022 is bound to publish only the personal particulars of its candidate, in the person of lbrahim Ahmad Lawan, "as nominated and submitted by the Plaintiff."

AbujaCityJournal recalls that there have been legal tussles over who is the candidate of the APC in the district between the Senate President and a former lawmaker, Bashir Machina.

Machina who was elected as the APC's candidate in the primary election supervised by INEC officials has been adamant in holding on to the ticket against Lawan who did not participate, but whose name was surprisingly forwarded to the electoral body by the ruling APC leadership in June.

The Senate President was pursuing his presidential primary which he lost at the primary in June when the primary election was conducted.

In sticking to the position of its monitoring team on the exercise, the electoral body has recognized Machina as the APC candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

The ruling party is however seeking the determination of the court on whether having regard to Sections 29 (1)&29 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC having uploaded and submitted the name of Lawan to the its portal and the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Plaintiff, having filled and signed the Defendant's Form EC 9C submitting his name and particulars to INEC as its candidate for senatorial district election, INEC can decline to publish Lawan as the APC candidate in the 2023 General Elections?

Secondly, the APC also seeks the determination of the court on "Whether having regard to Sections 29(1) &29 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Plaintiff having submitted and uploaded Ibrahim Ahmad Lawan's name to the Detendant's electronic portal and the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Plaintif having filled and signed the Defendant's Form EC 9C submitting the name and particulars of the Plaintiff to the Delendant as her candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections, can the Defendant assume the powers of a Court of law to disqualify brahim Ahmad Lawan."

INEC has 30 days to respond to the summon, failure of which the court may proceed as the judge considers just and expedient.