APC Senatorial Aspirants in Ekiti Want Primary Annulled, Accuse NWC of Fraud

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Aspirants that participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary held in Ekiti State Friday have called on the National Chairman of the party Adams Oshiomhole to cancel the outcome of the election.

The aspirants from Ekiti North Federal Constituency I — Hon Bimbo Daramola, Bunmi Ogunleye and Olufemi Ajayi — accused the Dr. Ibrahim Sule-led National Working Committee (NWC) of manipulating the National Assembly primary in the constituency in favour of an aspirant found to have political ties with some leaders of the party in the state.

They insisted that there was no ward where election was held in the two local governments of Oye and Ikole, alleging that the figures were concocted in favour of Peter Owolabi, following the failure by some leaders to get him the ticket via consensus arrangement.

At a press conference held in Ado Ekiti Saturday, Daramola advised the APC to abide by the tenets of democracy it was fond of preaching, rather than being hypocritical by doing what negates the ideals it preached.

The former member of the House of Representatives challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Services (DSS) and the police to present the reports of the primary 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 peoples 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 practise 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 for 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 tissue 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 cancelling 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 electoral officers did not report in any of the wards 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 saying our party leaders don’t matter, 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.”