The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday cleared the air on the status of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and former Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio, regarding their clearance to contest as senatorial candidate in the 2023 general election.

INEC stated categorically: “For the record, the Commission has not recognised any of the two personalities as a Senatorial candidate.”

The clarification is coming against the backdrop of a report in the media claiming,

that “the Commission has doctored, backdated and certified documents to accommodate the nominations emanating from Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts in respect of Senators Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio”.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Barr. Festus Okoye, while dismissing the report said that “nothing can be further from the truth”.

Okoye in a statement titled, “SPURIOUS ALLEGATIONS IN RESPECT OF NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES IN SOME SENATORIAL DISTRICTS” appealed for responsible reportage, insisting that the commission’s position has been misconstrued, among other things.

Okoye said: “As evidence of the alleged role played by the Commission, a certified true copy of Form 9C uploaded by their political party and received by the Commission on 17th June 2022 when the nomination portal closed was presented.

“For clarity, the Form EC9 (submission of names of candidates by political parties) is the Form uploaded by parties on the INEC nomination portal. This is clearly indicated on the title of the Form which was received on 17th June 2022 when the portal closed.

“What follows is the publication of the personal particulars of nominated candidates which was done a week later. The Forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the Commission. The decision of the Commission triggered legal action which are still ongoing. It therefore defies logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice.

“As part of the ongoing case in Court, a law firm requested the Commission for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Form EC9 submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District which we are duty bound to oblige them under the law. The Form was certified on 15th July 2022. If minimum care has been exercised by the promoters of the story, they would have seen the two stamps of the Commission bearing different dates on the Form. "It is this Form that is now misconstrued as INEC’s endorsement.

“We call for responsible reportage as against the unwarranted attack on the Commission and its officials over a matter than can be easily fact checked.”

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