Rerun: APC stakeholders reject imposition of federal lawmaker as candidate in Kwara

Stakeholders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero/Ekiti Federal Constituency of Kwara State at the weekend rejected the purported move to impose a serving federal lawmaker representing the  constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Tunji Raheem Olawuyi Ajulo-opin, as candidate for the constituency ahead of next year’s election.

The party chieftains described the last Thursday rerun that later produced Hon. Ajulo-opin as a “kangaroo one” that would fail at the end of the day.

Speaking at a news conference in Ilorin, the Spokesman of the Group, Mr. Emmanuel Moronfoye, stated that “the primaries of May 27, 2022, that produced Mr. Oluwasegun Adebayo still stand and the ongoing move to embark on illegal action will spell a doom for the party in the next year general elections.”

He said that Hon. Ajulo-Opin did not participate in the primaries of the May 27, 2022, and therefore the leadership of the party in the state has no locu standi to organise a new primary in the constituency.

He said that “Mr. Oluwasegun Adebayo had been declared winner of the primaries election conducted on May 27, in Omu-Aran, supervised by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other contestants at the primaries had congratulated him.

Moronfoye explained that the serving lawmaker was an aspirant for the senate in the recently concluded APC primary election and was defeated by the serving Senator representing the Kwara South Senatorial, Senator Lola Ashiru, and lost in his bid to clinch a senate ticket.

He noted that there was nothing that warranted a re-run and that Hon Raheem (Ajulo Opin) who did not participate in the earlier primaries should not be imposed on the members of the constituency.

Moronfoye, who was flanked by Chairman of Igbomina Ekiti Progressive Youth Forum, Mr. Sodiq Adebayo Olalekan, and a chieftain of the party in Isin Local Government , Mr. Adeyemi Abdulsalam,  said they would not recognise any other primaries other than the earlier one conducted on May 27, were Mr. Adebayo emerged as the party’s flag bearer.

Text of the addressed reads in parts: “It came as a rude shock to Mr. Adebayo and his supporters that another rerun was being conducted for the Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin constituency` Federal House of Representatives seat, with the inclusion of an aspirant who had never participated in the initial process.

“It is worthy of note that Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi (Ajulo-Opin) contested for the APC Kwara South Senatorial District primary election and lost to Sen. Lola Ashiru.

“Also, it is pertinent to state that Hon. Tunji Raheem Ajulo-Opin didn’t by any means whatsoever contest for the Federal House of Representatives seat of the Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin Federal Constituency. He didn’t partake in the screening for the House of Representatives seat, he didn’t make it to the ballot for the original primary election for the Federal House of Representatives seat and in a similar vein, there isn’t any evidence whatsoever to show that he bought a nomination form for the Federal Representative seat, except if he fraudulently connived with the so called “cabal” to get the nomination form.

“More so, it is important to note that there is no valid ground for the schedule of the purported re-run primary election, as there wasn’t any protest or valid complaint against the initial primary election, as the result was widely accepted by all.

“The purported re-run election was not communicated to Mr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, and the reason for the cancellation of the only valid election is still unknown.

“On this note, Mr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo appreciates his supporters and encourages calmness to all. He assured all supporters and well-wishers that justice shall be served, as the kangaroo rerun election is null and void and cannot stand the test of time.”

Meanwhile, the Igbomina-Ekiti APC Women Forum has congratulated the party for a successful primary in the Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency exercise.

The Coordinator of the Forum, Mrs. Dorcas Atoyebi, specifically thanked the national secretariat of the party for its decision to re-conduct the primary in Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State in the spirit of fairness and justice.

Atoyebi stated this in a statement over the weekend in Osi, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.

She explained that some aspirants had petitioned the appeal committee on irregularities noticed during the initial exercise thereby putting the integrity of the primary in doubt.

She revealed that the national secretariat of the party in its wisdom informed the state and sent officials to re-conduct the Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency primary alongside some other states.

The group advised party members in the constituency to embrace peace and accept the outcome of the primary in the spirit of oneness. (THISDAY)