Zamfara APC to participate in election as INEC complies with Court order

Reprieve came for National Assembly and governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has agreed to comply with Wednesday’s verdict of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal directing it to enlist APC candidates The Commission has consistently maintained that it will always obey court judgments and orders. The Court of Appeal. Abuja Judicial Division set aside the judgment of the Federal High Coun. Abuja for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part on the lower court.” This in effect means that the Zamfara State High Court‘s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly. Govcmorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order. Recall that the Federal High Coun. Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the National Assembly and governorship elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 20l9. While the former ruled that the APC. having failed to conduct party primaries cannot field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it can field candidates having conducted valid party primaries. Upon the receipt of the verdict of the Abuja Court of Appeal the Commission has on Thursday in compliance with the said order. restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly. Govemorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 2019. This was contained in a statement by INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voters Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye