Elections: Agbakoba reacts to Buhari govt’s order for INEC to allow Zamfara APC field candidates

Legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba SAN, has condemned the order of the Buhari government to Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) Zamfara State, field candidates for the general elections.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, (SAN), who doubles as the Minister of Justice made the call in a letter to INEC.

Malami, in the letter invited INEC to comply with the judgment of the Court of Appeal by admitting the results of the APC Zamfara primaries.

He also invited INEC to comply with the provisions of Section 38 of the Electoral Act, which empower the commission to postpone the election for the governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly elections.

He said this was in view of the fact since the Court of Appeal had upheld the primaries as valid, the APC in Zamfara would need a little time to catch up with its contemporaries in the election.

“Granting them this concession is not necessarily a favour but a right that inures to all contestants under similar circumstances,” he said.

Reacting, Agbakoba said: “I am shocked by the Attorney General’s letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the above subject. INEC is an independent institution and should not take directives from the Attorney General of the Federation or the Federal Government.

“If there is need for the postponement of the Zamfara state elections, the proper person to request the postponement is the All the Progressive Congress (APC). In any case, Sections 38 and 39 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which the Attorney General’s request is based on have nothing to do with postponement of elections.
“INEC should disregard the Attorney General’s letter.”