The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally declared Bashir Machina as the authentic winner of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Yobe North Senatorial District.
Machina emerged the winner of the Yobe North Senatorial primary of the APC after scoring 289 votes out of 300 delegates but was eventually dropped for the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Reports say that the winner held brief for Lawan who had gone off to contest the APC presidential primary election.
Having lost that election, he returned to retrieve the ticket from Bashir Machina but he was no longer willing to part with it.
Many party members say that the Senate President started attempting to seize the ticket from Machina after losing at the ruling party’s presidential convention, which was won handily by Bola Tinubu on June 8.
However, the electoral body has now certified Machina as the winner of the Senatorial primaries for Yobe North. He will battle the senatorial seat with candidates from different political parties in 2023.
The declaration of Machina as the winner of the senatorial ticket comes after the INEC said it lacked the powers to pick a candidate in an election, even though its authentication was necessary to certify that an election was held.
Reacting, some Nigerians took to Twitter to express their views on the matter that has divided the ruling APC in Yobe State.
Olurops: “Ahmed Lawan still wanna go to the Senate again. He has been in the National Assembly since 1999. Greedy and Shameless man.”
@Omoosun100: “That is what happens when people build their life and existence around politics. Without it, they are nothing in the society.”
@bonario89: “What a way for nature to reward the worst Senate President ever in the history of Nigeria.
😂😂😂 I love this game.”