Balogun-Fulani led APC wants Buhari to recognise own guber candidate, Omotoshe, others

The court backed Ishola-Balogun-Fulani led All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and national leaders of the party to hand over the party’s flags to its governorship candidate, Hon. Kayode Abdulwahab (Omotoshe) and other candidates that emerged on its platform.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, the party chairman, Hon. Ishola Balogun-Fulani said that they expect President Buhari as a man of integrity who has demonstrated respect for the rule of law on several occasions, to hearken to their call because their positions had been recognized by a court of competent jurisdiction.

He said that to do otherwise would not portray the party in good light before the court and the general public.

The APC chairman added that it is on record that a court of competent jurisdiction had on September 19, 2018 delivered judgement on the controversy that surrounded the status of APC leadership in the state.

“In that judgement, which is yet to be set aside by a higher court, the court upheld our position to the effect that the purported dissolution of our executive committee was illegal, and that the only state executive of APC in the eyes of the law is that one led by my humble self, Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani.

From that judgement is also the fact that the only recognized candidates of our party during this coming elections are those who came through our executive . In this regard, the gubernatorial candidate of our party is Alhaji Abdulwahab Kayode and we expect and hereby do humbly ask President Buhari, a man of integrity who has demonstrated respect for the rule of law severally, to abide by this judicial position.

“Therefore, we expect that as the president hands over the party’s flags to candidates tomorrow (Wednesday), they should be to those who have legal ground to represent APC in the election, starting with Hon. Abdulwahab Kayode and down the line.

“To do otherwise will not portray our dear party in good light before the court, which will still look into the matter and the general public who will vote during the elections. The latest decision of the court on the case of Kashamu vs Adebutu and leaders of the PDP is a good example to guide our party in the present circumstance”, he said.

The APC chairman, who maintained that the party remains the best for the country, called on Nigerians and especially Kwarans to cast their vote for all the party’s candidates across board, adding that “President Buhari deserves a second term to consolidate on the giant achievements he has recorded in all sectors of our national life since he assumed office in 2015.”

While assuring the president that the party is fully on ground in Kwara to deliver February 16 election for him, Balogun-Fulani said that, “the APC has enough achievements to campaign in Kwara state and we have daily amplified this and the reception we keep receiving daily assures us that we’re coasting home to victory.

“And it is this assured victory that makes us to once again ask Mr president to do the needful in the eye of the law, in the eye of morality and in the interest of our great party tomorrow (Wednesday).

…APC members protest substitution of assembly candidate

Scores of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ajikobi/Alanamu Constituency of Kwara state have protested against an alleged substitution of Abdulganiyu Olushola Alabi, the candidate of the party for Ilorin North West Constituency of the State House of Assembly in 2019 general elections.

They said the replacement of Alabi for one Abdulgafar Ayilara as flag bearer of the APC in the forthcoming election was against the larger interest of the party.

The protesters were drawn from Ajikobi, Adewole, Oloje and Alanamu wards of Ilorin North West Constituency and converged on the secretariat of the party at Ajikobi Central Ward in Ilorin West where they asked the National Working Committee of the party to reverse the substitution of their preferred candidate, who they insisted, emerged through popular will.

Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as ‘We Pass Vote of No Confidence on Ayilara’, ‘Return the Mandate to the True Winner’, ‘Let Justice Prevail’, ‘We say No to Imposition’, the protesters warned against any attempt to subvert the people’s choice.

They described Ayilara as an impostor, who was drafted into the race to weaken and destabilise the APC in the constituency.

Speaking to Journalists, one of the protesters, Mrs Muhibat Quadri from Adewole Ward, said Abdulganiyy Alabi was validly elected as candidate of the APC in the primaries conducted few months ago.

She wondered why some faceless chieftains of the party went behind to change the name of the candidate and cautioned against any move that could spell doom for the party.

Mrs Quadri stated that Olushola has been a major financier of the party and has provided the resources needed for APC to thrive in the area.

“We are confident that Abdulganiyu Olushola Alabi stands a better chance to win the House of Assembly seat, because he has been our backbone and major financier in moving the party forward in the constituency.

“To our utmost dismay, we were told that his name has been substituted with another name, Abdulgafar Ayilara after emerging as candidate during the primaries. We don’t know Ayilara. They should return the Mandate of Alabi to him. They should consider us, because in Kwara today, people can no longer be swayed by pecuniary gains but the integrity of the candidates is what concerned them”, she said.

Another member of APC, Isiaq Abdulrafiu, urged the party leadership to return the ticket of Honourable Alabi to him, saying Ayilara cannot ride on a stolen mandate.

He noted that Alabi was massively voted for during the primaries owing to his popularity and the support he enjoys from the people.

Abdulrafiu said members of the party were optimistic that Alabi, being a grass root politician, would give the people of Ilorin North West constituency quality representation that had eluded them.

He alleged that the candidacy of Ayilara was questionable because of his primary school certificate, which was said to have been forged.

Others, who spoke also pleaded with the APC hierarchy to rescind its decision to support Ayilara as candidate, maintaining that his choice would affect the fortunes of the party.