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- Senatorial Ticket: Machina Vows To Seek Legal Action Over Substitution Of Name With Senate President
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Bashir Machina has vowed to seek legal redress after his name was substituted with that of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
The Senate President’s name was listed as the APC flag bearer for the seat according to a signed list of candidates sighted.
The name on the list included Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam as the APC candidate for Yobe East, Senator Ahmed Lawan as the candidate for Yobe North, and Senator Mohammed Bomai for Yobe South.
Pristine Network had reported that Machina, the Yobe North Senatorial candidate had consistently said that he would not step down for Lawan and recently wrote the party’s chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, to reiterate his decision.
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Lawan had contested but lost the party’s presidential primary held earlier in the month with Machina claiming he was being pressured to relinquish his ticket for the lawmaker.
But in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today earlier in the week, he vowed not to step down. According to him, the Senate President did not have plans to contest for the post.
“I’m sure he did not plan to go back to the National Assembly. That is why he contested for the presidency and lost. This is democracy. The space is free,” Machina said.
“A certain period of time was given for people to want to contest. Timetables were set, guidelines were produced by the parties, and eventually, elections were held.”
Meanwhile, the Yobe North senatorial candidate, Machina spoke to journalists at a press briefing on Friday night said he would seek redress from the National Working Committee of the party for such illegal and undemocratic move.
He said, “As you all know, I am the APC senatorial candidate of Yobe Senatorial District. I scored 289 votes from an election which was held free, fair, peaceful and harmoniously
“Going by the guidelines of the senatorial or National Assembly, primary elections for 2023 general election were held according to the Electoral Act. Ballots were cast transparently and openly. On the day of the primary elections as scheduled, I emerged the winner. We submitted the results to the national headquarters of my party, the APC
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“Ironically, this evening, I heard from credible sources that my name was misrepresented. My name was removed from the list sent by the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission. I don’t know whether erroneously or deliberately so.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I remain the senatorial candidate of Yobe North senatorial district duly elected on the platform of the APC.
“I did not withdraw for anybody and will not withdraw because that is as a matter of right. Removing my name; I consider is very undemocratic, illegal and of course inhuman.”
Machina said he would check with the party and if true, he would seek redress in the court.
He added, “I will check; I will take measures first by reminding and appealing to my party. If this action is truly done erroneously, it should be corrected. And if it is deliberate, we are actually seeking for redress from the National Working Committee of our party under the leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.”
By Rabiu Tajudeen - 2022-06-18 07:51:29
