Lawan survives Machina’s scare, named APC candidate for Yobe North

Senate President Ahmad Lawan’s name has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party’s candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District National Assembly elections.

It would be recalled that Bashir Machina, who won the APC primary for the senatorial, had on Wednesday insisted that he would not step down for Lawan.

The senate president had contested the APC presidential ticket and hours before the primary commenced, he was announced by Abdullahi Adamu, the APC national chairman, as the consensus candidate of the party.

However, the consensus decision was rejected by several party stakeholders — including members of the national working committee (NWC) — and Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor, went on to win the party’s ticket at the primary which was concluded on June 8.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja, Machina had insisted that he will not withdraw from the senatorial race since he got the votes of delegates in an unopposed election.

“I’m sure he did not plan to go back to the national assembly. That is why he contested for the presidency and lost. This is democracy. The space is free.

“A certain period of time was given for people to want to contest. Timetables were set, guidelines were produced by the parties, and eventually elections were held,” Machina had said.

However, based on the signed list of candidates sent to INEC seen on Friday, Lawan is listed as the party’s candidate for Yobe North.