Kwara APC Crisis: Balogun-Fulani, faction warns INEC to obey court on candidates’ list

…as Commission releases Gov, House of Assembly hopefuls’ list, today

By Mumini AbdulKareem

The Ishola Balogun-Fulani-led All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against making the mistake of not publishing the names of the party’s candidates duly recognised by the court of law.

This is coming just as the Commission prepares to release the lists of Governorship and House of Assembly candidates across the country, today (Thursday).

In a fresh letter dated January 29, 2018 and addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakub Mahmud, Balogun-Fulani reminded the electoral body of the subsisting judgement of the Ilorin High Court which recognised his leadership of the APC in the state as the authentic body to conduct the party’s primaries for picking candidates for all elective positions.

INEC had in its last publication listed the names of candidates not from Balogun- Fulani-led executive committee as the party’s National Assembly candidates in the state, a development that forced the APC leader to write the electoral body through the law firm of Yusuf O. Ali and Co.

In the latest letter titled “Re-Reminder of Previous Correspondence Calling for Action on Complaint of Unconstitutional, Deceitful and Perverted Representation of the Judgement of the Kwara State High Court of Justice, Ilorin in Suit No: KWS/292/2018 (Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani & ANOR. Vs. Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole & 5 ORS, the party ‘warned and advised’ INEC not to repeat the mistake of the past by publishing unrecognised names as candidates for election in the state.

Parts of the letter, reads:

“Consequently, your commission is advised and warned not to repeat the mistake of the past in deliberately, wittingly or unwittingly publishing any other unrecognised names as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State other than the names of the candidates duty submitted by our executives committee of APC in line with the judgement/order of the court.

“We are aware that names of governorship candidates of respective states are to be published by your commission on 31/1/2019 and this is a wakeup call that your commission should mandatorily and or dutifully publish the name of candidates that are legally and validly recognised by the judgement/order of the court as submitted by our executive committee duly recognised by the said judgement/order of court.

“We hope and trust that you will not in any way shy away or shirk from legal obligation imposed on you by law”, the letter added.

Speaking on the issue with our reporter last night, Balogun-Fulani said, “We are presently in court for the enforcement of the court order in the Federal High Court in Ilorin. The case is coming up February 11, 2019,” he added.

But a top member of the party who confided in our reporter over the issue said all options are still in the open adding that the APC will do everything legally sanctioned to force INEC to recognise his mandate which is yet to be set aside by any other court in the country.

“That might be the next thing (charging INEC for contempt of court) since the court has directed that INEC should recognise our faction and there is no subsisting court order that would warrant it to do otherwise, the source submitted.

According to the INEC timetable for the 2019 election, the commission is expected to publish the names of Governorship and House of Assembly candidates on January 31, 2019 which is today.

In the letter titled, “Re-Reminder of Previous Correspondence calling for Action on Complaint of Unconstitutional, Deceitful and Perverted Representation of the Judgement of the Kwara State High Court of Justice, Ilorin in Suit No: KWS/292/2018 (Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani & ANOR. Vs. Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole & 5 ORS, the party ‘warned and advised’ INEC not to repeat the mistake of the past by publishing unrecognised names as candidates for election in the state.

Recall that INEC in its publication of National Assembly candidates penultimate week failed to recognise the list of the Balogun-Fulani-led faction but went ahead to publish the names of candidates of the Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa-led executives despite the subsisting court judgement of the Kwara State High Court on the matter.

Following the action of the Commission, counsel to Balogun-Fulani-led faction, Yusuf Olaolu Ali then wrote to INEC rejecting the decision adding that, “It is gravely worrisome, curious and strange that names of persons who never obtained any judgement or order of competent court jurisdiction would be accepted and put forward by INEC” as 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”.