Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will meet on Saturday to deliberate on matter arising from the Supreme Court judgement on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara.
Members of the INEC Legal Team, from the left, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN); Omoruyi Augustine Omonuwa (SAN); Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN); Tanimu Inuwa (SAN) and Ifeanyi Ihejirika discussing before the opening statements of the Chairman 2019 Presidential Election Appeal Panel, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachawa during the opening of the hearing for the petition against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Court of Appeal, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida The Commission made this known in a statement issued by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee on Friday in Abuja. Okoye said that commission’s decision would be made know to the public on Monday. He disclosed that following the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered in Abuja on the Governorship, National and State Assembly elections held in Zamfara State, the INEC on Friday held an emergency meeting to consider the court’s decision. “The Supreme Court ruled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not hold valid party primaries as required by law. “It held that all the votes scored by the APC in the said elections are wasted votes and declared that the candidates of political parties with the second highest valid votes and the requisite spread should be declared as having been elected. “The Commission will meet again tomorrow Saturday to further deliberate on the issues arising from the said judgment, while the final decision on the matter will be communicated to the public on Monday, May 27. ‘’ One of the decisions expected from the INEC was when it would withdraw the Certificate of Return to those whose elections were nullified and when it would issue same to those declared winner by the court judgment. The Supreme Court on Friday in invalidated the participation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara. Justice Paul Galinji, delivering the lead judgment in Abuja, held that the APC and all its candidates that participated in the elections gate-crashed, having not conducted lawful primaries. According to him, INEC was right not have recognised the participation of APC in those elections. Galinji, therefore, ordered that all the political parties whose candidates scored the second highest votes in the elections and the required spread should be declared winners forthwith.
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