Lawyer: Removal of Machina’s name for Lawan’s shows APC supports illegality

Pelumi Olajengbesi, human rights lawyer, says the submission of Ahmad Lawan’s name as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe north senatorial district shows the party has no “respect for constitutional democracy”.

TheCable had reported that Lawan, senate president, was listed as the APC senatorial candidate for Yobe north, without participating in the senatorial primary election.

Bashir Machina, who won the APC primary election for the district, insisted that he would not step down for the senate president.

Lawan had contested for the APC presidential ticket, but lost to Bola Tinubu who secured 1,271 votes to clinch the party’s presidential ticket.

Speaking on the development, Olajengbesi, principal partner of
Law Corridor, in a statement, said the APC must stop its “illegalities and actions alien to decent democracy”.

The lawyer asked Machina to seek legal redress to reclaim his mandate.

“Now that Lawan has lost the presidential primary to former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu, it is shocking that the APC chairman again threw away constitutional democracy and moved on to enthrone Lawan as Yobe North senatorial candidate for the ruling party when it was apparent that the senate president didn’t participate in the senatorial primary,” the statement reads.

“The APC has just disgraced and embarrassed itself as a shameless party with no respect for constitutional democracy which President Muhammadu Buhari preaches.

“Going by the provisions of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 signed by the President, the APC cannot just foist anybody on other contestants, not especially in this case where Machina contested the election and won whilst Lawan was busy chasing his presidential ambition which was met with preposterous defeat as he didn’t even come close to the first three in terms of votes cast by delegates.

“Recall that similar cases have been recorded with the likes of other APC presidential aspirants including Godswill Akpabio, Dave Umahi, and Ibikunle Amosun.

“The APC must stop its illegalities and actions alien to decent democracy. There is nothing absolutely wrong with Lawan’s 24-year rubberstamp tenure in the national assembly coming to an end in 2023. It is this sit-tight syndrome that has destroyed democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

“Machina is encouraged to seek legal redress to reclaim his rightful mandate from Lawan. Machina has a good case and should not give in to intimidation and oppression by the high and mighty who should be taught a lesson that illegalities won’t be tolerated going into the 2023 elections.”