The Independent National Electoral Commission had put to rest the lingering controversy over the candidacy for the Kaduna Central Senate seat of the APC by endorsing a nomination form made out in Uba Sani’s name which permanently sealed the political fate of Shehu Sani in the State.
Reports which started trickling in late last night that INEC had finally settled for Uba Sani’s candidature were confirmed in the afternoon of Friday, October 19 when a duly endorsed nomination form in his favour dated October 18, 2018 was formally released.
While various reasons for INEC’s action were suggested by pundits, the most compelling however, is that the Commission adhered to a mandatory provision of the Electoral Act that bars parties from substituting candidates earlier submitted as having emerged through the process for primary elections provided for under its Section 32.
The enabling section 33 of the operational Electoral Act spells in unambiguous terms that “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to Section 32 of this Act except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate,”
With its hands thus tied, INEC found itself with no option than to acknowledge Uba’s nomination as candidate of the APC for the zone endorsing his nomination form accordingly.
With the development, the stage is set for a straight figh for the Senate seat between Uba Sani of the APC and Lawal Adamu Usman of the PDP while outgoing Senator Shehu Sani is believed to be mulling a shift of base to the People’s Redemption Party.
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