AGF Malami lobbies INEC to postpone Zamfara governorship poll

ABUJA, Nigeria – Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami has written the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) seeking postponement of the governorship and National Assembly and House of Assembly election in Zamfara State.

He is seeking postponement to enable the All Progressives Congress(APC) to field candidates for the election.

Malami said his letter was informed by a petition he received from the law firm of M.A Mahmud & Co., based on a judgment of the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal.

He said the Court of Appeal’s judgment delivered on Wednesday affirmed an earlier verdict of the Zamfara State High Court which had held that the party conducted valid primaries for the various elective positions in the state.

He explained that postponing the polls in Zamfara State in the light of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, was not a matter of doing APC a favour but a right the party was entitled to.

“In view of the fact, now that the Court of Appeal has upheld the primaries as valid, the APC in Zamfara State will 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.

“Consequent on the above, INEC is invited to comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal by admitting the results of the APC Zamfara State Primaries and to also comply with the provisions of Section 38 of the Electoral Act which empowers INEC to postpone the election for the governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly Elections.”