POLITICS TODAY

The Independent National Electoral Commission had put to rest the lingering controversy over the candidacy for the Kaduna Central Senate seat of the APC by affirming  Uba Sani, which permanently sealed the political fate of Shehu Sani in the State. Uba is the APC candidate for Kaduna Central in the  list  submitted by the National Secretariat to the electoral umpire.

The revelation was contained in a statement issued by one of Uba Sani’s media aides, Blessing M.  Kurah, issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Friday.

Reports which started trickling in late last night that INEC had finally settled for Uba Sani’s candidature were confirmed in the afternoon of Friday, October 19, when Uba was formally issued a duly-signed certificate dated October 18, 2018.

While various reasons for INEC’s action were suggested by pundits, the most compelling however, is that the Commission adhered to a mandatory provision of the Electoral Act that bars parties from substituting candidates earlier submitted as having emerged through the process for primary elections provided for under its Section 32.

The enabling section 33 of the operational Electoral Act spells in unambiguous terms that “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to Section 32 of this Act except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.”

With its hands thus tied, INEC found itself with no option than to declare Uba as the duly nominated candidate of the APC for the zone and issued him a certificate accordingly.

With the development, the stage is set for a straight fight for the Senate seat between Uba Sani of the APC and Lawal Adamu Usman of the PDP while outgoing Senator Shehu Sani is believed to be mulling a shift of base to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).