{"id":64798,"date":"2019-02-14T15:20:35","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T14:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=64798"},"modified":"2019-02-14T15:20:35","modified_gmt":"2019-02-14T14:20:35","slug":"election-2019-agf-malami-wants-elections-in-zamfara-state-postponed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/election-2019-agf-malami-wants-elections-in-zamfara-state-postponed\/","title":{"rendered":"ELECTION 2019: AGF Malami Wants Elections In Zamfara State Postponed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, has asked the
\nIndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone elections in
\nZamfara state because of litigation.<\/p>\n

In a letter dated February 13, 2019, Malami said he was acting based on a
\npetition from a law firm claiming that recent court judgments have
\nannulled the stand of INEC that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did
\nnot conduct primaries in the state and can therefore not field candidates
\nin the governorship and national assembly elections.<\/p>\n

He said since the courts have admitted that primaries were held, INEC will
\nnow have to postpone the elections to allow APC\u00a0 catch up with other
\nparties in preparing for the polls.<\/p>\n

The national assembly elections will be held on February 16 while the
\ngovernorship and state assembly two weeks later.<\/p>\n

FULL TEXT OF MALAMI\u2019S LETTER
\nThe Chairman,<\/p>\n

Independent National Electoral Commission,<\/p>\n

Zambezi Crescent,<\/p>\n

Maitama, Abuja.<\/p>\n

RE: THE NEED TO URGENTLY CONSIDER SECTIONS 38 & 39 OF THE ELECTORAL
\n(AMENDMENT) ACT 2010 AND EXTEND THE TIME FOR THE APC ZAMFARA TO FIELDA
\nGUBERNATORIALCANDIDATE FOR THE 2019 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF
\nTHE ZAMFARA HIGH COURT JUDGMENT INSUIT NO. ZMS\/GS\/52\/2018-SANUSI LIMAN
\nDAN-ALHAJL & 37 ORS V. ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS & 144 ORS: AND APPEAL NO.
\nCA\/S\/ 23\/2019<\/p>\n

My office received a petition from the firm of M. A. Mahmud, SAN & CO in
\nrespect of the above subject matter, (copy attached for ease of reference)
\nrequesting that the subsisting judgment in Suit No. ZMS\/GS\/52\/2018-SANUSI
\nLIMAN DAN-ALHAJI & 3Z ORS V. ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS & 144 ORS be upheld
\nand respected by INEC, as the Court of Appeal has upheld the Appeal in
\nAppeal No. CA\/S\/23\/2019, (scanned copy attached for ease of reference)
\nthus effectively annulling the grounds upon which the purported
\ncancellation of the APC Primaries in Zamfara State by INEC was based.
\n2. You may wish to recall that the Zamfara State High Court upheld the
\nZamfara APC Primaries in the suit mentioned in the first paragraph above,
\nheld on the 3rd and 7th October, 2018 for the Governorship and the
\nNational and State Legislative Houses. Copy attached for ease of
\nreference.<\/p>\n

3. You may further wish to recall that in Suit No.FHC\/ABJ\/CS\/1279\/2018-
\nALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) V. INEC & 5 ORS, the Federal High Court
\nheld that the nullification of the said Zamfara APC Primaries by INEC was
\nlawful. However, this decision has been upturned in Appeal No
\nCA\/S\/23\/2019. Copy is also attached for ease of reference.<\/p>\n

4. In the circumstance and in consideration of the provisions of Sections
\n38 and 39 of the Electoral Act, 2010, the law allows INEC the latitude and
\ndiscretion to extend the time within which a political party may duly
\nfield a candidate for an election where unforeseen circumstances
\nconstrained such a party from doing so within the stipulated time frame.<\/p>\n

Section 38 states: Where at the close of nomination, there is no candidate
\nvalidly nominated, the Commission SHALL extend time for the nomination and
\nfix a new date for the election.<\/p>\n

Section 39 states: Subject to any other provisions of this Act, if after
\nthe latest time for the delivery of nomination papers, and the withdrawal
\nof candidates for an election under this Act, more than one person remains
\nvalidly nominated, a poll shall be taken.<\/p>\n

In this particular instance, the constraining circumstances that led to
\nthe delay in fielding a candidate were caused by INEC\u2019s refusal to comply
\nwith the Zamfara State High Court Judgment in the aforementioned suit to
\nuphold the Primaries as held. Moreover, INEC cannot foreclose the right of
\na political party to participate in elections without recourse to the Act.
\nBy the doctrine and principle of judicial precedence, the Appeal
\nsupersedes the Federal High Court\u2019s Position in Suit No.
\nFHC\/ABJ\/CS\/1279\/2018- ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) V. INEC & 5 ORS.<\/p>\n

5. In view of the fact, now that the Court of Appeal has upheld the
\nPrimaries as valid, the APC in Zamfara State will need a little time to
\ncatch up with its contemporaries in the election. Granting them this
\nconcession is not necessarily a favour but a right that inures to all
\ncontestants under similar circumstances.<\/p>\n

6. Consequent on the above, INEC is invited to comply with the judgement
\nof the Court of Appeal by admitting the results of the APC Zamfara State
\nPrimaries and to also comply with the provisions of S.38 of the Electoral
\nAct which empowers INEC to postpone the election for the governorship,
\nNational Assembly and House of Assembly Elections.<\/p>\n

7. Please accept the assurances of my warm regards.<\/p>\n

ABUBAKAR MALAMI, SAN
\nHonourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone elections in Zamfara state because of litigation. 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