Crisis looms as Lawan, Akpabio make APC senatorial candidates’ list

All Progressives Congress (APC) may be courting future crisis, following the submission of the names of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former Minister, Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio for senatorial contest in 2023.

Both Lawan and Akpabio contested the presidential primaries of the ruling party. Akpabio had stepped down for the eventual winner of the primary, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while Lawan came fourth.

After the primary election failure, the duo returned to their states of Yobe and Akwa Ibom to fight for senatorial tickets of their zones.

However, in Yobe North Senatorial District, the winner of the primaries, Bashir Sherrif Machina refused to step down for Lawan.

He had claimed that he was the rightful candidate for the senatorial district as he won the primary with 289 votes.

APC however submitted Lawan’s name as its senatorial candidate and Machina, on Friday promised to seek legal redress.

In Akwa Ibom State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not recognize Akpabio as the senatorial candidate of APC for Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district.

According to Igini, former DIG Udom Ekpoudom is the winner of the Senatorial District during the primary held on May 27, 2022.

According to him, by virtue of the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, substitution of candidates by political parties was no longer permitted under the new Electoral Act.

“By virtue of Section 31 of the 2022 Electoral Act, the only way somebody can be replaced in any form is that we no longer have substitution by political party. What you have now is withdrawal by individual or nominee and or death.

“The law is not saying you should go and kill people so that you can have yourself on the ballot. No. The law is saying that those who have emerged at all levels up to the presidential level, you can decide that you are no longer interested.

“You can write an application signed by yourself, delivered to your party who will now deliver to INEC but nobody can shave the political head of another person in his or her absence.

“The report of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District APC primary as submitted to INEC headquarters in Abuja is final. It is concluded.

“I hear people talking about substitution. If you look Section 31 and Section 34 of the Electoral Act, those of you who are still carrying the old idea of the 2010, 2012 Electoral Act in your head, thinking you can substitute willfully, it is no longer so.

“Then number two is only in the case of death. Even at that, there will now be a fresh primary. This is the new law.

“So what we are seeing going on is clearly a misnomer. The rerun can only be conducted between and among those who participated in the first senatorial election of May 27, 2022.

“And the Senatorial primary for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District was not canceled, was not nullified, was not inconclusive. It was conclusive, it was concluded and the report was written and it is final because you cannot reopen that anymore,” he said.

List of senatorial candidates submitted to INEC by APC

ABIA STATE

Chief Hon. Emeka Atuma (Abia Central)

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North)

Hon. Blessing Nwagba (Abia South)

ADAMAWA STATE

Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa Central)

Elisha Cliff Ishaku (Adamawa North)

Adamu Ismaila (Adamawa South)

AKWA IBOM STATE

Emaeyak Ukpong (Akwa Ibom North East)

Sen. Godswill Obot Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West)

Martins Udo-Inyang (Akwa Ibom South)

ANAMBRA STATE

Okelekwe E. Boniface (Anambra Central)

Ify E. Anaozuonwu (Anambra North)

Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji (Anambra South)

BAUCHI STATE

Uba Nana Umar (Bauchi Central)

Sirajo Tanko Mohammed (Bauchi North)

Shehu Buba Umar (Bauchi South)

BAYELSA STATE

Timipa Orunimighe (Bayelsa Central)

Degi-Eremienyo (Bayelsa East)

Wilson Dauyegha (Bayelsa West)

BENUE STATE

Hon. Emmanuel Udende (Benue North East)

Titus Zam (Benue North West)

Daniel Onjeh (Benue South)

BORNO STATE

Kashim Shettima (Borno Central)

Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North)

Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South)

CROSS-RIVER STATE

Hon. Eteng J. Williams (Cross-River Central)

Hon. Martin Orim (Cross-River North)

Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross-River South)

DELTA STATE

Ede Dafinone (Delta Central)

Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North)

Joel Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South)

EBONYI STATE

Emeka Kenneth Eze (Ebonyi Central)

Onyeka Nwaebonyi Peter (Ebonyi North)

Dave Nweze Umahi (Ebonyi South)

EDO STATE

Monday Okpebholo (Edo Central)

Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North)

Valentine Asuen (Edo South)

EKITI STATE

Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central)

Cyril Oluwole Fasuyi (Ekiti North)

Adaramodu Adeyemo (Ekiti South)

ENUGU STATE

Adaku Ogbu Aguocha (Enugu East)

Simon Ejike Eze (Enugu North)

Oby Nwofor (Enugu South)

GOMBE STATE

Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central)

Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali (Gombe North)

Joshua M. Lidani (Gombe South)

IMO STATE

Prince Alex Mbata (Imo East)

Hon. Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North)

Sen. Osita Izunaso (Imo West)

JIGAWA STATE

Ahmed Abdulhamid (Jigawa North-East)

Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West)

Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa (Jigawa South-West)

KADUNA STATE

Muhammad Sani Abdullahi (Kaduna Central)

Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna North)

Bulus Audu (Kaduna South)

KANO STATE

Abdulsalam Zaura (Kano Central)

Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North)

Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano South)

KATSINA STATE

AbdulAziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central)

Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura (Katsina North)

Mukhtar Muhammed Dandutse (Katsina South)

KEBBI STATE

Sen. Atiku Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi Central)

Hussaini Sulaiman Kangiwa (Kebbi North)

Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South)

KOGI STATE

Ohere Abubakar (Kogi Central)

Sen Isah Jibrin (Kogi East)

Karimi Sunday Steve (Kogi West)

KWARA STATE

Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central)

Sadiq Suleiman Umar (Kwara North)

Sen. Lola Issa Ashiru (Kwara South)

LAGOS STATE

Hon. Eshilokun Wasiu Sanni (Lagos Central)

Sen. Mukhail A. Abiru (Lagos East)

Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Lagos West)

NASARAWA STATE

Danladi Halilu ESQ (Nasarawa North)

Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa South)

Shehu Tukur (Nasarawa West)

NIGER STATE

Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East)

Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger North)

Bima Muhammad Enagi (Niger South)

OGUN STATE

Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central)

Olugbenga Daniel (Ogun East)

Sen. Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West)

ONDO SOUTH

Adeniyi Adegbonire SAN (Ondo Central)

Ipinsagba Olajide (Ondo North)

Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South)

OSUN STATE

Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central)

Israel Famurewa (Osun East)

Amidu Tadese Raheem (Osun West)

OYO STATE

Dr. Yunus Akintunde (Oyo Central)

Sen. Fatai Buhari (Oyo North)

Sarafa Ali (Oyo South)

PLATEAU STATE

Hon. Diiket Satso Plang (Plateau Central)

Christopher Giwa (Plateau North)

Rt. Hon. Simon B. Lalong (Plateau South)

RIVERS STATE

Ndubuisi U. Nwankwo (Rivers East)

Oji N. Ngofa (Rivers South East)

Asita Honourable O. (Rivers West)

SOKOTO STATE

Ibrahim Lamido (Sokoto East)

Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako (Sokoto North)

Ibrahim Danbaba Abdullahi (Sokoto South)

TARABA STATE

Marafa Bashir Abba (Taraba Central)

Sani Danladi Abubakar (Taraba North)

Danjuma Usman Shiddi (Taraba South)

YOBE STATE

Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe East)

Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North)

Sen. Mohammed Bomai (Yobe South)

ZAMFARA STATE

Sen. Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central)

Sen. Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (Zamfara North)

AbdulAziz Yari Abubakar (Zamfara West)

FCT

Hon. Zakaria Angulu