Yobe North: Machina Insists He’s Apc Senate Candidate, Rejects Replacement By Lawan

Bashir Machina, the senatorial candidate for Yobe North, says he is seeking redress after the All Progressive Congress (APC) substituted his name on the list of candidates sent to the electoral umpire, INEC.

Mr Machina, who hoped that the substitution was an error, maintained that he is still the candidate for Yobe North senatorial district under the APC.

In a list seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was named in place of Mr Machina.

Mr Lawan had the backing of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, when he contested for the party’s presidential ticket. After he lost out, he made surreptitious moves to replace Mr Machina as the party’s representative for the senatorial district in next year’s National Assembly election.

He has, however, been met with stiff resistance from a defiant Mr Machina who has vowed not to step down.

Mr Machina, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Shippers Council, had said besides the Senate being a lifelong dream, he had contested in the primary and won with over 280 votes while Mr Lawan did not participate in the process.

Section 31 of the Electoral Act only allows for substitution when a candidate dies or when (s)he withdraws from the race and informs INEC in writing.

With Mr Machina’s stern refusal to step down, it remains unclear why and how the APC would substitute his name.

Legal action

At a press conference on Friday, Mr Machina, Third Republic member of the House of Representatives, rejected the substitution of his name in the list sent to INEC.

“I don’t know whether it was erroneous, my name was not in the list of the names that was said to be presented today to INEC. For the avoidance of doubt, I remain the candidate duly elected of the APC Yobe North Zone C senatorial zone,” he said.

He maintained that he is the elected candidate. He also said he “did not withdraw for anybody and will not withdraw.”

He further described the removal of his name as undemocratic, illegal and inhuman.

“Insha Allah, I will take measures, first by reminding and appealing to my party that if this action is truly done, it should be corrected, especially if it is erroneously done.

“We are actually seeking redress from the National Working Committee of our party under the able leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman, that there is an anomaly and we need it to be corrected,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate President and his camp have remained mute on the matter. While some say he has no interest in returning to the Senate, a few others say he is desperately working to have Mr Machina relinquish his position for him to return.

Lawyers have said the implication of substituting Mr Machina’s name is that, should Mr Lawan contest and win the senatorial election, the court will hand the victory to the former.