After almost 24 years in the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan will not be vying for re-election in the 2023 general elections. On Wednesday, 28th September 2022, a Federal High Court in Damaturu ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Bashir Machina as the APC candidate for election into the Yobe North Senatorial District, Lawan’s Constituency. The past few months saw a squabble between the Senate President and Machina over who will be contesting for the seat on the platform of the APC in the 2023 general elections.
Senator Lawan contested in the APC presidential primaries which took place between 6and 7 June. A few days earlier, the Yobe North Senatorial District primaries of the APC was conducted with Bashir Machina declared winner on 28May. However, following his defeat in the presidential primaries, Senator Lawan squabbled to return and seize the nomination ticket which had been won by Machina. He appeared to receive the support of the APC party leadership which refused to submit Machina as candidate and instead preferred Senator Lawan who had not participated in the primaries. Pressure was brought to bear on Machina to withdraw his candidature and the party purportedly conducted fresh primaries on June 9, springing up Lawan as winner. This forced Machina to court, leading to the Federal High Court decision. With this ruling, the blank space left by INEC for Yobe North Senatorial District in its recently published list of candidates for the 2023 general elections will now be filled by the validly elected candidate from the primaries of 28 May – Bashir Machina