The only way Senate President Ahmad Lawan could return to the Senate in 2023 is if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, explains it.
Lawan, or anyone in his position, according to INEC, is at the mercy of candidates who have been lawfully and legitimately nominated by their political parties.
Despite the fact that the INEC's National Commissioner of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said on Arise TV on Monday morning that he has not seen the names of candidates submitted by political parties, a viral report claims that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Yobe North Senatorial District has replaced Bashir Machina's name with Lawan.
Machina was proclaimed the victor of the Yobe North Senatorial District primary poll when Senator Lawan was contending for the APC presidential ticket.
Okoye said the Commission has reports on all senatorial and House of Representatives primaries, and that properly nominated candidates must write to INEC with a sworn document requesting a new primary, which would be held within 14 days before a replacement could be made.
He also encouraged Machina and others who had their mandates revoked to seek recourse in a well-constituted court of law, noting that INEC already had the reports from the primaries.
"I totally agree with you that someone who hasn't run in their party's primary should not be nominated as their candidate," Okoye remarked.
"However, at this time, the Independent National Electoral Commission is unable to make a judgement in connection to what you're stating or in relation to whose name was presented by a political party."
"The Commission kept a close eye on the primaries of various political parties. We have our reports on their senatorial and House of Representatives primaries.
So, if someone wins the party primary but someone else's name is submitted, it is that person's responsibility to seek remedy in a constituted court of law under Section 285 of the Constitution, Section 84, and Section 29 of the Electoral Act.
"Moreover, if any of the candidates who have been properly and constitutionally nominated withdraws in writing and sworn affidavit at the end of this nomination process, the 'political party that nominated me must and shall conduct fresh primaries within the period of 14 days and then make such replacement,' according to the law.
"The person must then do so by writing to the political party that nominated him, accompanied by an affidavit stating that he or she has voluntarily withdrawn.