The Action Alliance (AA) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to recognize its candidates for this year’s general election, warning that the failure could lead to total cancellation of the exercise
National Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, said his party was at a loss as to why the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC was reluctant to accept the list of candidates.
Omo-Aje spoke on Saturday
at the unveiling of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) as part of the AA’s ongoing campaign and mobilisation strategy.
He called on INEC to obey a recent Appeal Court Judgement, which upheld Dr Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, AA.
The party also called on INEC to upload the candidates recognized by the Appellate court for the 2023 election.
He said the party as a democratic party, will not fold its arms and watch the nation’s nascent democracy being rubbished.
Omo-Aje stressed that the Party was concerned that the failure to upload Court’s recognised candidates could be used to ambush the 2023 elections.
Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, said his party was at a loss as to why the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC was reluctant to accept the list of candidates.
He said this was despite INEC being aware of several court judgments, including those of the Court of Appeal, recognising him as the authentic National Chairman of the party.
Omo-Aje, who accused the INEC Chair of being sympathetic to the party’s sacked National Chairman – Kenneth Udeze, stated that the electoral body would imperil the general elections if his party ‘s candidates were unlawfully excluded.
He said his party will challenge such unlawful exclusion in court, including asking for a total cancellation of all the elections.
Omo-Aje said: “INEC Chairman has refused to upload the list of all his party’s candidates for 2023 elections from Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, the authentic National Chairman.
“And this he (Yakubu) is doing in defiance of various court orders that asked him to recognize Omo-Aje as National Chairman and, desist from further dealings with Kenneth Udeze.
“Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in honouring of the list submitted by Kenneth Udeze, whom court judgments had classified as an ‘interloper,’ is acting illegally. This smells of an agenda to ambush 2023 general elections.
“We are doing this to alert all concerned, most especially other political parties, who are already investing heavily in their campaigns right now; the National Assembly and other Nigerians, who are looking up to better election following the amended Electoral Acts, that is being applauded widely.
“It must be noted here going forward that Prof Mahmood Yakubu is already setting a booby trap on the road to 2023 general elections
“Our plans are in phases of this matter. Starting with this, our next move is to pass a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the commission headed by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. We have no trust that he can organize free, fair, and credible general elections.
“After this, we shall move to the National Assembly on a protest and, to submit our protest letter and to inform our lawmakers that, if Mahmood is not called to order, there will be negative consequential effects on the outcome of the 2023 elections.
“We shall use all legal channels to ensure we get justice against any form of exclusion from presenting our candidates for elections, and every such election stands the chances of annulment law,” Omo-Aje said.
