The Director of Legal Directorate Tinubu Campaign Organization, Babatunde Ogala has condemned the declaration of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as the All Progressives Congress, APC, consensus presidential candidate by the national chairman, Sen Abdullahi Adamu, violates the Constitution.
He further stated that the move will not only breach the provisions of Section 84(9) (10) and (11) Electoral Act 2022 but cause friction among the Governors of the party who are major stakeholders
Ogala said these in a statement reacting to Adamu’s adoption of Lawan as the consensus candidate at the meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja on Monday, contrary to the position of 11 APC Northern governors who want power shift back to the South.
Ogala said: “The media is inundated with reports that the Chairman of the All progressives Congress (APC) has unilaterally announced the purported adoption of a certain candidate as the consensus presidential candidate of the APC for the forthcoming presidential election in 2023.
“While the National Chairman is yet to deny or offer any clarification on the alleged declaration, it is necessary to state that such a declaration is a legal impossibility. This is because under the regime of the Electoral Act 2022, consensus, though provided for as one of the means by which a political party may produce its candidate, must specifically occur in a precise form.
“Section 84(9) (10) and (11) of the Electoral Act 2022 are the relevant provisions and they state as follows:
“(9) A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate.
“(10) Where a political party is unable to secure a written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective position.
