Senate president faces a re-election crisis as the surrogate who stood in for him refuses to stand down

SENATE president Senator Ahmad Lawan is facing a major re-election crisis after the candidate who stood in for him while he sought the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket is refusing to stand down and give way for him.

 

Under Nigerian electoral rules, candidates are not allowed to stand for two offices at a time but politicians have found a way around it by getting surrogates to stand in for them. Senator Lawan is the lawmaker representing Yobe North Senatorial District and because he could not seek re-election as the APC presidential ticket at the same time, he asked party member Bashir Sheriff Machina to stand in for him.

 

Mr Machina was duly elected as the APC senatorial candidate and having lost his APC presidential bid, Senator Lawan has asked his surrogate to stand down for him, so he can seek re-election. However, Mr Machina has refused to do so, saying he is the duly elected APC candidate and will fly the party's flag at next year's election.

 

Tension reached a climax last Friday when Mr Machina's supporters organised a solidarity protest where they swore that the candidate would not step down for Senator Lawan, who has repeatedly represented the constituency since 2007. A defiant Mr Machina has taken a step further to also write the national leadership of the APC, saying he is unwilling to give the mandate as he would rather prefer to slug it out with candidates of other political parties ahead of the February 25 elections.

 

Mr Machina wrote: “I write to reaffirm my continual aspiration as the All Progressives Congress unequivocal senatorial candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District, following my clearance and participation at the party primaries, where I got 289 votes out of the 300 total votes cast. I write to reaffirm that I remain committed to the mandate which I won at the primaries and I have not in form or manner communicated otherwise.

 

"I have been informed of a purported malicious and mischievous report and insinuation to the contrary. Please note that I never at any time signed or communicated in any form any intent to vacate the mandate, which was won at the primaries. I am totally committed to my mandate and I am working towards delivering Yobe North Senatorial District to our great party, the All Progressives Congress.”

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