Emmanuel Adeniran, Ado Ekiti
Aspirants that participated in the All Progressives Congress(APC)
House of Representatives Primary Election held in Ekiti State on Friday, October 5th have called on the National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to cancel the outcome of the election.
Aspirants from Ekiti North Federal Constituency I; Hon Bimbo Daramola, Honourable Bunmi Ogunleye and Olufemi Ajayi, accused the Dr. Ibrahim Sule-led National Working Committee for the National Assembly Primary in Ekiti of manipulating the process in favour of Aspirant found to have political tie with some leaders of the Party in the State.
Standing from left to right: Honourable Olufemi Ajayi (left), Honourable Bimbo Daramola (middle) and Honourable Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye (right).
They insisted that there was no ward where election was held in the two Local Government Areas of Oye and Ikole, alleging that the figures were concocted in favour of Barrister Peter Owolabi, following failure by some leaders to get him the ticket via consensus arrangement.
At a Press Conference held in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, Daramola advised the APC to abide by the tenets of Democracy they were found of preaching, rather than being hypocritical by doing what negates the ideals they preached.
The former member, House of Representatives, challenged the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of the State Security
Services (DSS) and the Police to present the reports of the primary election to substantiate whether election was truly held in the Federal Constituency.
“This brazen daylight robbery has the capacity to injure not only the
reputation of our Party but also create bad blood among our members. They should stop behaving in an unruly manner, because we are facing the PDP next year’s February in major elections”.
“What we saw yesterday in Ekiti North Federal Constituency 1, was a travesty, it wasn’t a reflection of the people’s will. The results announced for our brother, Mr. Owolabi was a disappointment and brazen desecration of Democracy in our land”.
“APC was supposed to be a Party for change. I have been part of its
struggles giving everything to the Party. If I will lose a poll, it
should be in an Honourable manner. The Primary is not about us, but about our people. If we must practice what we preach, I do not expect what happened in Oye and Ikole Ekiti on Friday”.
“Contrary to what the Chairman from Abuja, Dr. Sule said that no
photocopy would be used fory results sheets, but in Oye, we have
evidence that photocopies were used. They brought photocopies that are not visible which are not what as much as a tissues paper with no numbers, no index, but original ones were sent to Iloro Ward 2 in Ekiti Central”.
“I personally feel that that is not the appropriate step to take. I
also saw a video clip on social media where they said I scored 2,000 in an election without materials, it was a sad day for our Party”.
“We plead with our Party to do Justice in this regard by canceling the outcome of the Primary in the interest of our Party’s reputation that was being damaged”, he said.
Other aggrieved Aspirants, Messrs Ogunleye and Ajayi added that Democracy was murdered by the action, saying no election was held in the Federal Constituency and that the Electoral Officers did not report in any of the Ward in Ikole Council Area.
Ajayi said: “it is high time we stopped behaving as if our people
don’t matter. Our people should determine who wins any primary and not by imposition. Many old and young people waited in the sun, but results were written and these results were concocted by those who announced them”.
“We aren’t say our Party leaders don’t matters, but where they want a consensus Candidate, they should carry everybody along. But that wasn’t done, I am insisting that there was no poll in lkole LGA, but a winner was announced. I didn’t know where they got the results”.
“If anyone would emerge as our representative, the people must be given the liberty to have inputs. APC shouldn’t continue this way”, the Aggrieved Aspirants lamented.
