The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly set to disqualify third term National Assembly members seeking a return ticket, from contesting in the party’s primaries for the 2023 general elections.
Eighteen-Eleven Media gathered the APC’s new guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections provided that all lawmakers seeking a fourth term ticket must contest for other positions or would be disqualified.
A source said that “There won’t be a return ticket for all National Assembly members seeking a 4th term ticket.
“Any 3rd term legislator interested in contesting or returning to the National Assembly shall be disqualified by the new NWC of our great party; That’s why people like the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan won’t be returning to the senate, instead he wants to be the president.”
The source further stated that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were equally planning to implement the idea of not returning their long-serving legislators.
“If you observe what is happening now, long-serving National Assembly members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are returning in 2023. The likes of Ike Ekweremadu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Leo Ogor, James Manager and so on,” the source said.
It was further gathered that the APC may sanction political appointees yet to comply with the provisions of the party’s new guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections by resigning their positions.
APC’s new guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections provide that all political appointees must resign 30 days before the party’s primaries or would be disqualified.
Sequel to this, Minister of Transport Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, his counterpart in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chirs Ngige; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Minister of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and other political appointees running for various offices on the platform of the ruling party risk disqualification.
The APC new guidelines read in part: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for the nomination of candidates.
“Any political office holder interested in contesting for an elective office shall leave office 30 days before the date of election of party primary for the office sought.
“Violation of any of these guidelines shall attract automatic disqualification.”
Similarly, Section 84 (12) of the new Electoral Act directs all political appointees seeking elective office to resign ahead of any party primary they plan to participate in.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, had said the party would ensure that all political appointees willing to contest election on the platform of the party resigned in line with the provisions of the new Electoral Act.
The APC National Executive Committee (NEC) had approved N30m for the expression of interest form and N70m for the nomination form amounting to N100m for presidential aspirants on its platform.
