INEC includes Zamfara APC candidates on the ballot

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has indicated its resolve to include the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara on the ballot.

The Commission in a statement on Friday by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said it included APC candidates on the ballot in compliance with the judgement of the Appeal Court in Abuja.

Okoye narrated that INEC has consistently maintained that it will always obey court judgments and orders.

The Commissioner explained that in the case of APC in Zamfara State, the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23^rd February and 9^th March 2019.

He said that while the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries cannot field candidates in the said election, the later decided that it can field candidates having conducted valid party primaries.

The National Commissioner noted that the court in Abuja had restrained the party from fielding candidates in the general elections, stating that it did not conduct primaries.

Okoye stated that the appeal court, thereafter, set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja for lack of jurisdiction; and the commission has decided to comply with the order of the court and restored the APC on the ballot in Zamfara.