Jubilation in Yari’s Camp as INEC Lists APC for Zamfara Polls Marafa kicks, appeals Zamfara High Court ruling
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it had compiled with the judgement of Appeal Court and had
restored candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State to the ballot in the National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 23 and March 9,
2019. This decision triggered jubilation in the camp of Governor Abdulaziz Yari, whose candidates made the list submitted to INEC by the APC headquarters.
However, the APC Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa, whose camp was not favoured, said he had filed an appeal at the Sokoto Division of the Appeal Court, against the decision of the Zamfara State
High Court, which INEC relied on for its decision. The commission in a statement signed by its National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye, said it had consistently maintained that
it would always obey court judgements and orders. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, had on Thursday set aside the Continued on page 6
Polls: Africa Solidly Behind Nigeria, Says Johnson-Sirleaf … Page 6 Saturday 23 February, 2019 Vol 24. No 8721
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Nigeria’s Moment of Truth
Buhari, Atiku Battle for Historic Vote
Our Correspondents On the 20th anniversary of the election that returned Nigeria to Democracy in 1999, the country is again at a crossroads. Nigeria has never been this divided as citizens file out today to elect a President that will run the country for another four years, effective May 29. The two leading candidates in today’s election - President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have divided the country across all lines. In the last few weeks, Buhari and Atiku’s campaigns across the 36 states and Abuja have been rancorous, with both candidates feeding fat on tribal, ethnic and religious sentiments. It is in the midst of this bitter division that the over 72 million Nigerians that collected Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) will troop out this morning to determine the fate of the two candidates. The 2019 general elections will be the largest single-day peacetime logistics and security undertaking by the commission since 1999, with over 72 million voters, 91 political parties and 23,213 candidates vying for 1,558 positions, involving over 814,000 electoral officials. As at press time, INEC had Continued on page 6
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