The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wishes to clarify that the party’s Senatorial Candidate for the Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor is still very much in the race to contest the election scheduled for March 5, 2016.
APC National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, in a statement on Friday, explained that the clarification is sequel to reports in some media outlets suggesting that the APC Senatorial Candidate has been excluded from the election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Buni said APC has not received any communication from INEC about the purported exclusion of the party’s Senatorial Candidate.
For the sake of clarity, he added, the following should be noted:
1. Dr. Chris Ngige, who contested the election in March 2015 on the platform of APC, is now a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has withdrawn from the fresh election ordered by the Court of Appeal.
2. To avoid a vacuum, the party after due process presented (Mrs.) Sharon Ikeazor as replacement for the original candidate who withdrew from the race.
3. By law, a political party has the right to nominate and sponsor candidates in all elections in Nigeria. It is immaterial whether it is a general election, bye–election, new election, fresh election or election of any nomenclature.
4. The right of a political party to substitute a candidate who dies or withdraws his/her candidacy is in Sections 33 and 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).
APC said it is confident that INEC, as a law-abiding body, will be guided by the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and continue its efforts to deliver peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
