CONTROVERSIES have continued to trail the conduct of the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and emergence of some candidates, with some aspirants seeking redress through petitions written to either the appeal panels in states or directly addressed to the national secretariat of the party.
In Osun State, some state House of Assembly and National Assembly aspirants in Osun State, on Monday, called for a total cancellation of the primaries conducted by the party to elect candidates.
The aspirants, who expressed their anger at the failure of the party leadership to release the results of the elections conducted six days ago, called for a fresh exercise.
They alleged that they had lost confidence in the one earlier conducted, on the ground that it had been manipulated by Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his aides.
But, the governor dismissed the claim, accusing the aspirants of not being well informed on the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on political affairs, Honourable Sunday Akere, the governor insisted that the results were ready and would be ratified in line with relevant law before its release today (Tuesday) after the ratification.
However, at a press conference in Osogbo jointly addressed by 12 aspirants of The Osun Progressives (TOP) caucus of the party and read by Honourable Waseeu Adebayo, a two-term House of Assembly member from Olorunda State Constituency, they expressed their displeasure on the development which they claimed could retard the progress of the party.
The signatories were Adebayo from Olorunda State Constituency; Owoade Ademola (Irewole/Isokan state constituency); Wahab Kazeem (Ifelodun); Babalola Opeyemi (Ede South); Kolawole Olalere (Ilesa East); Mrs Adesola Arawole Adegbite (Odo-Otin); Olaoye Abdulhakeem (Osogbo); Mrs Olaniyi Shariat (Ayedaade); Kasali NurudeenAdelaja (Iwo); Opadola Abdullahi Amobi (Olaoluwa); Dr Komolafe Akinlabi (Ijesha-South Federal Constituency and brahimOyekunle of Ayedaade/ Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency.
In a statement made available to newsmen, they described the whole exercise as a charade and sham which lacked credibility and fairness.
In Oyo, six out of eight House of Representatives aspirants for Ibadan North West/South West federal constituency have petitioned the APC Election Appeal Committee over alleged mutilated delegates’ list, non-conduct of the primary election in the federal constituency, and purported declaration of one of the aspirants as winner of the primary that never took place.
They described as surprising the declaration by one of the aspirants, Honourable Saheed Akinade-Fijabi that he is winner of the primary when the aspirants had faulted the delegates list for the primary and were waiting for a new date to be fixed for the election.
The six petitioners are Mrs Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku, Biodun Ikumoguniyi, Samuel Ajadi, Temitope Oyewale, and Fasola Mutahir.
The seventh aspirant, Kehinde Subair, a former majority leader of Oyo State House of Assembly, did not sign the petition.
The petition, which was addressed to the Chairman of the Appeal Committee, Oyo State Primary Elections of APC, through the secretary of the Oyo State Election Appeal Panel Committee, itemised the collective grievances of the aspirants about the primary election that was scheduled to hold on Friday, May 27, 2022, at Lafia Hotel, Apata, Ibadan.
In Ondo, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun has called for outright cancellation of the result of the APC primary held for Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency. Oleyelogun, while speaking with journalists in Akure, on Monday called on the leadership of the party to organize a rerun, saying this became imperative because the election was inconclusive.
He blamed gang-up against him as responsible for the crisis that erupted during last Friday’s primary.
He alleged that political thugs sponsored by one of his opponents invaded the venue of the election and disrupted the conclusion of the election.
According to him, some of the thugs descended on his agent, simply named Festus, who was beaten to coma.
But the Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to Adefisoye, Wale Adegoroye, described Oleyelogun’s allegations as laughable, saying Oleyelogun participated in the primary election but lost to better candidate.
He said the election was peaceful and monitored by security personnel and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Meanwhile, following controversies that trailed the primary for Ado-Odo Ota Federal Constituency, incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Jimoh Ojugbele, has described as baseless and baseless, calls for a rerun of the election.
It will be recalled that at the rescheduled election on Sunday, thugs also invaded the venue towards the end of the election and carted away ballot boxes in the full glare of the security operatives.
Ojugbele, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen, said he he won the election which held on Friday in spite of a “slight disruption for a few minutes” by thugs who shot guns at the venue.
Ojugbele wondered why there would be a call for a rerun in the election in which he secured 41 out of the 43 votes cast by accredited delegates.
In Ogun State, an aspirant for Yewa South/Ipokia Federal constituency, Kayode Idowu has petitioned the national secretariat of the party over alleged imposition of preferred candidate. Idowu fingered the powersthat-be in the state for imposing preferred candidate on the delegates.
He submitted that last Friday’s primary was simply selection not election, stressing that delegates were deprived of the opportunity to make their choice in line with the provision of the Electoral Acts.
Idowu added that aspirants were denied access to delegates lists, and called on the national leadership of the party to conduct fresh primary in the constituency.
Idowu alleged that fake results were allocated to the aspirants without conduct of the primaries.
The controversy generated by the conduct of primary election into Oyo North Senatorial District took a new twist, on Monday, as four aspirants contesting for the seat called for cancellation of the exercise.
They alleged that the exercise was characterised by irregularities and injustice, which negate democratic tenets, capable of rubbishing the integrity of the APC.
Addressing a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on behalf of other aspirants, the only female senatorial hopeful in the state, Adeboyin Adeola said in order to protect the image of the APC and restore the confidence of electorate, “the national leadership of our party should as a matter of urgency nullify the primary election in Oyo North Senatorial District.”
SOURCE: Tribune