The Ishola Balogun-Fulani led All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State on Wednesday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently withdraw the list of candidates of the Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa faction of the party published by the commission last week.
The party, in a letter, addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, through its counsel, Yusuf O. Ali & Co., and dated 21st January 2019, charged INEC to publish the names of the candidates submitted by its party in line with the judgment of Kwara State High Court to sanitize the processes associated with the publication of the names of eligible candidates” by restoring credibility and legality to the commission in the spirit of rule of law.”
In the letter which was also copied to the European Union, the Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP), the APC expressed dismay and bewilderment that INEC ”published strange names as Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates benefiting from judgement of the Kwara State High Court delivered in suit as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kwara State against whose names “Court Order” was written in the list of names of Candidates published by your Commission on
17th January 2019”.
“It is an undisputable fact that apart from the aforesaid judgement of the Kwara State High Court delivered on the 19th December,2018, which has not been set aside by the Appeal Court, the only time the Court of Appeal sat in respect of the Appeal lodged against the Kwara State High Court judgement of the 19th December 2018 was the sitting of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division held on the 14th January 2019 during which the Court of Appeal never issued an order setting aside the judgement of Kwara State High Court delivered on the 19th December 2018,” the letter stated.
The Balogun-Fulani led APC executive said what the Commission did by inserting ‘Court order’ against the names of the Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates when there is no court order to that effect, sounds criminal, fraudulent and deceitful manipulation or representation of facts by the Commission.
According to the letter, “It is gravely worrisome, curious and strange that names of persons that never obtained any judgement or order of court of competent jurisdiction would be accepted, countenanced, presented and/or put forward by your Commission as the lawful and legitimate candidates standing on the crest of ‘Court Order’ that was never obtained from or granted by any court of law in Nigeria.”
The party recalled that in judgement delivered on the 19th December, 2018, by the Kwara State High Court of Justice, Ilorin in which INEC was joined as the 5th Defendant, all its reliefs were granted “in to to” by the court including the reliefs establishing that the Ishola Balogun-Fulani led executive was the authentic, valid and duly recognised Kwara State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with four-year tenure of office commencing from the 6th June 2018, with the constitutional power to conduct primary elections of the party in Kwara State among other things.
The party added that pursuant to the aforesaid judgement of the court, counsel/solicitors, Yusuf O. Ali & Co, in a letter dated the 26th December, 2018 duly served the Commission and duly acknowledged, forwarded duly certified copy of the enrolled order of the court attached with the list of the names of the candidates elected through the primary elections conducted by the Balogun-Fulani led executive committee in line with the spirit and tenets of the said judgement of Ilorin High Court.
…as guber candidate, Omotoshe flags off campaign in Ilorin
By Mumini AbdulKareem
The court-backed Ishola Balogun-Fulani-led faction of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, flagged-off its gubernatorial campaign calling for support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and its governorship candidate, Kayode Abdulwahab Omotoshe.
The event which took place at the party’s secretariat, Agba-Dam road, GRA Ilorin, witnessed large turnout of party members from across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.
The ceremony also featured music and display of various party symbols including placards of President Buhari and other candidates across boards.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the party, Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani said his party executives and members remain the authentic faction and called on supporters to remain calm regarding the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on those eligible to contest within the APC in the state.
He thanked President Buhari for providing conducive atmosphere for aggrieved members in the party to approach the court and seek redress on perceived wrongdoing even as he assured that the APC will work assiduously to ensure the emergence of its presidential and governorship candidates.
He urged the party members to embark on aggressive campaign in order to sell the party and its manifesto to the electorate across the state adding that the APC governorship candidate, Omotoshe is exposed and experienced enough to provide the needed leadership to move the state to enviable height.
In his speech, Omotoshe said his administration would massively invest in the youth to create jobs through agriculture and sport sectors.
According to the APC gubernatorial candidate, his government would tap into the potentials of 380 km of River Niger water passing through the state to make Kwara the number one state in rice production.
He said being a former teacher that has gone through all levels of education in the state and one who played and managed sports at the highest levels, he will bring his wealth of experience to bear to make the state a model in all sectors.
He said the good works of President Buhari at all levels will be replicated in the state come March 2, 2019.
“We have a lot to do in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary education and we are going to focus a lot of attention in that area. I have played sports at all levels and was the former national president of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation. So I know what it takes to use sports and education to make the difference in the state. I have also served in all phases of governance both in the executive and legislature and we are going to use that experience to demystify governance for the benefit of the masses.
“Ours will be masses-friendly administration and we will replicate many of the welfarist policies of Present Muhammadu Buhari in Kwara State. We have 380 km of the River Niger water that pass through the state. This to us is a huge potential and we are going to use such water to make our state a power house in rice production in the country with the teeming youth the focal point in our agricultural revolution,” he added.
