The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed Bashir Sheriff Machina as the candidate for Yobe Zone C Senatorial District for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Similarly, the commission has dissociated itself from the emergence of Senate President, Ahmed Lawan as the candidate.
Reports had earlier indicated that the APC had replaced the name of Machina with Lawan at INEC.
But a document by INEC dated Thursday stated, “The position of the Electoral Umpire was contained in a legally admissible Certified True Copy (CTC) of INEC report for the primary election dated yesterday, 23rd June 2022.”
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A certified true copy of INEC’s report from the May 28, 2022, election showed Mr. Machina scored 289 votes out of 300 delegates.
The document, certified by the electoral office did not mention Ahmad Lawan, but Machina.
The Yobe North senatorial ticket sparked controversy after Machina, who won the primary, made it clear he would not step down for Senate President.
Lawan had contested for the APC presidential ticket in May, but lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Also, no records of Lawan’s participation in the APC senatorial primaries were presented by the APC, although the APC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, disclosed that the aspirant took part in the elections.
However, Lawan, who currently represents Yobe north district, was eventually listed as the APC senatorial candidate for the 2023 general election, leaving Machina who actually won the elections out of the picture.
The APC chairman had urged Machina to step down for Lawan, but he refused.
