…for contesting in more than one primary election
Attempt to obtain multiple forms is an offence
A former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and others that participated in more than one primary election risk two years’ imprisonment under the Electoral Act, 2022.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, who quoted Section 115 (D) of the Electoral Act, 2022, while speaking on a live television programme monitored in Lagos on Tuesday, said the politicians risked jail terms.
Igini said, “A person who signs a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency at the same election (commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum term of imprisonment for two years.)”
He further stated that by “constituency,” the electoral term refers to a separate election whether it is presidential, governorship, senatorial, the House of Representatives or that of the state assembly.”
According to Igini, “any politician who fails to obey the law is liable to be jailed for two years, and Section 115 (3) even states that any attempt to obtain multiple forms is an offence.”
He added, “Section 115 (D) of the 2022 Electoral Act stipulates that no person shall sign, obtain more than one form as a candidate for different elections.
“And the offence for that under subsection K, beyond the financial, he will go to two years’ imprisonment.
“Some people are claiming that they participated in one election that they filled two forms; it is ignorance of the law and it is not an excuse.
“We are preventing them from being candidates for prison and they are calling our names everywhere.”
Some politicians who had contested for the presidency on their party platforms had lost out, only for them to bounce back on another ticket of their party.
INEC had recently advised Lawan and Akpabio to seek redress following their failure to emerge as senatorial candidates of the All Progressives Congress for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West, respectively.
They had vied for the APC presidential ticket but lost to former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, who emerged as the standard-bearer of the ruling party.
On his part, Tambuwal was one of the frontrunners for the PDP presidential ticket until he stepped down for Atiku Abubakar in the last minutes on May 28, 2022.
Tambuwal had stepped down for Atiku, just before voting commenced. He also asked his supporters to vote for Atiku who eventually clinched the presidential ticket.
The governor of Sokoto State said his decision to withdraw from the PDP presidential primary election was his own way of strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
Thereafter Tambuwal was announced as the Senatorial candidate of the PDP for Sokoto South Senatorial District following the withdrawal of former commissioner of youth and sport Bala Bodinga.
By the affirmation, Tambuwal is now seeking to represent seven local government areas in the red chamber come 2023.
The local government areas are: Bodinga, Dange/Shuni, Kebbe, Shagari, Tambuwal, Tureta and Yabo local government areas.
