The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has explained that its decision to suspended the issuance of Certificates of Return to winners of the March 9, governorship and House of Assembly elections in Zamfara State is in compliance with a court order to that effect.
In a notice on its twitter handle, @inecnigeria, INEC said the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, in its judgement set aside the judgment of a Zamfara High Court that allowed the APC to field candidates for the March 9 elections in Zamfara.
Said the commission: “INEC has been served with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto concerning the sponsoring of candidates by the APC in Zamfara and is studying same.
“Consequently, the presentation of Certificates of Return for the Zamfara Governorship and state House of Assembly scheduled for Wednesday 27 has been suspended.”
It would be recalled that INEC had barred APC from contesting the state election saying the party did not conduct its primaries within the stipulated time.
But barely some days to the election, Zamfara State High Court ruled otherwise saying APC could contest.
In a fresh development, however, the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto on Monday said Zamfara State High Court did not consider all the evidence presented before ruling that the APC could contest the election.
In his ruling, the presiding judge of the Appeal Court, Justice Shaibu Yakubu, said all evidence placed before the court showed that APC and others respondents did not conduct primary elections.
