An aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Akoko North-West/Akoko North-East Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Ibrahim Sikiru, has called on the party’s leadership to disqualify Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo from contesting at the forthcoming primary of the party, for being an incumbent lawmaker and aspirant.
Tunji-Ojo is the lawmaker representing the federal constituency, seeking the ticket of the party to go for the second term but Sikiru asked the party to invoke Sections 84(8) and 84(12) of the electoral acts as amended, saying Tunji-Ojo has flouted the act.
In a petition filed by his lawyer, Barrister Yemi Adetoyinbo, and addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Sikiru said Tunji-Ojo’s membership of the party’s National Executive Committee disqualified him from seeking re-election.
A copy of the petition was made available to our correspondent on Sunday.
In the petition, he explained that Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act provides that ‘Any statutory political officeholder who is a NEC member of the political party shall not have the right to vote or be voted for as a delegate or candidate unless he resigns from the position as NEC member 30 days to the party primaries.’
He said Tunji-Ojo falls into this category and should be stopped from participating in the party primary because the lawmaker had allegedly not resigned as a member of NEC of the party and he is still seeking re-election.
The petition read in part, “We urge you to use your good office by calling to order the attention of the screening committee to ensure due process and in compliance with the constitutional provisions of the eligibility or otherwise of the outcome of the exercise concerning the non-eligibility of the aspirant of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who legally should not be given a lawful clearance to represent the party having failed to comply with the provision of the law in his ambition for a second term to the House of Representatives as he stands unqualified, as he can not be a judge in his own court directly or indirectly to screen himself in proxy and be an aspirant screening others through his co-members in the NEC of the party which constituted the screening committee with the NWC and determines who gets what in the party.
“This principle should be applied and resolved against the aspirant in the spirit of equity, fair play and justice in the party and the country.
“The fact that he remains a NEC member of the APC and also an aspirant at the same time as incumbent in the office while it should be noted had also violated his oaths of office being a person occupying a statutory elective position in the government/legislative arm of government of Nigeria, drawing salary and at the same time, a member of the party executive in Nigeria in dual capacity is in breach of the constitution sections.
“We urge you to ensure the justice of this matter is done accordingly as anything short of this, we might be compelled to seek redress at the law court. We want to explore internal mechanism of the party first before resorting to litigation as the last resort on the matter.”
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