APC, PDP Elicit Confidence Over Reps Seat, As Court Sacks Candidate

By Ayodele Oni

Even before Saturday’s election, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state has been celebrating its victory of one of the House of Representatives seat in the state.

PDP victory is premises on the last minute judgement of the federal high court which annulled the emergence of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Gboyega Adefarati last week.

But the APC has told the PDP that its celebration will be short-lived as efforts are being made to discharge the judgement.

In a statement, by the public relations officer, Kennedy Perete, the PDP remarked that “Just about four days to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking legal remedies to ameliorate their self-inflicted calamity in Akoko South East/ Akoko South West Federal Constituency.

“The Federal High Court sitting in Akure has declared for the second time that, the APC does not have a candidate for the February 25th House of Representatives election in Akoko Southeast/Southwest Federal Constituency.

“The APC Primary for the Federal Constituency which produced Adegboyega Adefarati as candidate was held at the International Event Centre (Dome) Akure, in flagrant abuse and violation of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.

“The primary was annulled and new one was ordered to be conducted but the APC ignored the Court order.

“Typical of the APC, they tried to circumvent the law and manipulate the process towards a prepared answer again and another charade called primary election was conducted against the order of Court and letters of the Electoral Act 2022.

“But, on Friday, 17th February, the hens finally came home to roost at the Federal High Court sitting in Akure emphatically declared that, in the eye of the law, APC has not conducted election and therefore has no candidate.

“APC is also barred from conducting another election, their candidate restrained from parading himself as a candidate of APC in the election and INEC was also restrained from accepting any name from APC as a candidate.

“The implication of this is that APC is technically and legally knocked out from participating in the House of Representatives election in Akoko Southeast/ Southwest Federal Constituency.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State, salutes this courageous decision of the Court and at the same time congratulates our Candidate, Arch Gbenga Kolawole who has by this judgement is very close to victory even before the election.”

Reacting, APC spokesman, Alex Kalejaye, stated that “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has been drawn to the unfortunate celebration of the PDP over the Federal High Court decision on Akoko South West/ Akoko South East Federal Constituency in the forthcoming National Assembly election.

“What readily comes to mind is that the opposition party earnestly crave an easy ride to an unmerited electoral fortune in the federal constituency during the election, without labour . What a pity.

“Ondo APC wishes to remind the struggling opposing PDP that APC logo will be on the ballot paper, and that is an indication that the ruling party is still actively in the race to National Assembly in Akoko South West/South East Constituency.

“May we further remind the political dreamers that the APC is a party to beat in the Akoko land, on account of physical development by our government, and intimidating political structures in the area.

“For those who deliberately refused to monitor events, the APC had since rejected the judgement, directed its lawyers to file stay of execution, and challenge the judgement at the Appeal Court.

“A fact that is not contestable, however, is that the APC is far ahead of other parties in Akoko in particular, and entire state in general.

“Whoever emerges representative of the Akoko South West/ Akoko South East Federal Constituency come Saturday 25th, will be determined by the informed residents of the two local government areas, and not the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“We perceive that the only incontestable fact, however, is that the APC is several poles ahead of other political parties, in any part of the state, in all indications, and highly favored to enjoy the mandate of the people.

“We therefore urge our party members to ignore all forms of distractions and concentrate on winning more souls for the party in the federal constituency, and prepare to relish the ultimate victory.”