Taraba: INEC clears APC’s Bwacha for Saturday polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission has cleared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Saturday governorship poll, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha in Taraba state.

INEC made the clarification at the Federal High Court Jalingo in an APC case seeking the inclusion of its candidate in the portal and ballot paper ahead of Saturday polls.

APC leaders in the state had approached the Federal High Court in Jalingo urging it to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include its governorship candidate, Emmanuel Bwacha on the ballot paper for March 11 election. But the INEC legal team while responding told the court that the APC candidate’s name was never removed from it’s portal, urging the court to strike out the case for lack of merit.

Fielding questions from journalists later, the counsel to APC and it’s guber candidate, Barrister Festus Editikpo (SAN)said that they were in the court to clear air on the speculation making round the state that the party has no candidate for the polls.

Speaking to Journalists at the court premises, Barrister Joseph Oguche gave reason why David Kente former APC Governorship aspirant applied to join the case as an interested party.

Justice Bala Usman however adjourned Kente’s prayer till tomorrow as well as to deliver judgement.

Meanwhile, a constitutional lawyer in the state Barrister Karkaji Dan-Adi has cautioned against working against the supreme court verdict which nullified the APC primaries that produced Senator Bwacha.

He posited that supreme court does not give room for APC to conduct fresh gubernatorial primary in which Bwacha emerged

The clarification by INEC would go a long way to erase negative report making round Taraba State that APC candidate has been removed from INEC portal and thus not eligible to contest as result of the supreme court verdict.