The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has withdrawn total of 64 certificates of return and issued to winners declared by courts orders, the commission has said.
INEC is also studying nine more judgements it has been served in the last one week in which primary elections conducted by different political parties have been upturned by the courts, it added.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman made this known Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of certificates of return to the Zamfara Governor-elect, Deputy Governor-elect and National Assembly members-elect on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP declared by the Supreme Court last Friday.
In compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court, INEC presented 12 certificates of return to; the Governor-elect, Mohammed Matawalle, Deputy Governor-elect, Mahdi Aliyu-Gusau, three Senators-elect; Yau Sahabi (Zamfara North), Mohammed Hassan (Zamfara Central), Lawali Hassan-Anka (Zamfara West) and the seven Members of the House of Representatives-elect.
They include; Umar Dan-Galadima (Kauran Namoda/ Birnin Magaji), Bello Shinkafi (Shinkafi/Zurmi), Kabiru Amadu (Gusau Tsafe), Kabiru Yahaya (Anka/Talata Mafara) Shehu Mohammed (Bungudu/Maru), Ahmed Bakura (Bakura/Maradum) and Sulaiman Gummi (Gummi/Bukkuyum).
The INEC Chairman in his remarks said the presentation of certificates of return to winners of any election conducted by the commission was a statutory responsibility required of the Commission under Section 75 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
Yakubu while harping on the need for internal democracy among political parties said, “I want to reiterate the importance of conducting proper primaries before elections in order to reduce the spate of litigation associated with them.
“At the moment, there are 809 pre-election cases pending in various courts across the country challenging the conduct of primaries by political parties for the 2019 general elections. This is clearly more than the total number of petitions currently before the various election petition tribunals nationwide challenging the outcome of the main elections.
“In our last update, the Commission reported that 25 certificates of return had been withdrawn and issued to persons declared winners by courts of law. Since then, three more certificates have been withdrawn by court order. With the Zamfara case, the figure has now risen to 64. In addition, the Commission is studying nine more judgements we were served in the last one week in which primary elections conducted by different political parties were upturned by the courts”.
According to him, “the Zamfara example is not the first pre-election case determined by the Supreme Court arising from the recent party primaries. Earlier, the apex court had determined the case of Lere Federal Constituency in Kaduna State which the Commission had already complied with and issued the certificate of return to the winner.
“It is therefore important to continue to emphasise to our political parties their obligation to conduct credible primaries for the nomination of candidates. Our democracy in particular and electoral process in general can never be virile unless political parties rise to the challenge of internal party democracy.
“It is in this context that the latest judgements of the Supreme Court are crucial steps in strengthening our electoral jurisprudence. Going forward, we will not accept the submission of names of candidates by political parties under Sec. 31of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) unless there is evidence, monitored by the Commission, of compliance with the provision of Sec. 87 of the Act.
“Party members interested in contesting elections start as aspirants before they emerge as candidates through the democratic process of direct or indirect primaries enshrined in Sec. 87 of the Electoral Act. It is only after they comply with this requirement of the law can their names be submitted to INEC under Sec. 31. We shall continue to work with the political parties to ensure strict compliance”.
On the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections, the INEC Chairman said, “let me once again remind political parties that we have exactly 171 days to the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections scheduled for 16 November 2019.
“Party primaries are scheduled to be conducted between 2ndand 29thAugust 2019. Let us make the two elections shining examples of internal democracy by the way the political parties conduct their primary elections. This will no doubt have a positive impact on the conduct of the proper elections”.
Responding on behalf of other candidates, Governor-elect, Matawalle promised to run an all-inclusive government and being the first PDP administration in Zamfara, the State Government would close ranks elected representatives both at the state and national level foster development.
The Zamfara Governor-elect commended President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering with the legal fireworks even when his party, the All Progressives Congress was involved, the Supreme Court for proving that the judiciary is still the hope of the common man and INEC for not just complying with the Court ruling but first declaring that APC had no candidates in Zamfara.
James Kwen, Abuja
