The Action Peoples Party (APP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to effect change of its governorship and deputy governorship candidates ahead of the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The state chairman of the party, Chief Moses Awogbemi, who spoke with the newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Saturday noted that the national leadership of APP had communicated to the commission the change of names of candidates from the earlier published by the electoral body.
Awogbemi explained that Ekiti State High court sitting in Ido-Ekiti had given an order for the commission to recognise Adeyinka Alli as the new party’s governorship candidate and Christiana Olatawura as his running mate, expressing regret that INEC is yet to comply with the judicial pronouncement.
According to him, the party followed the laid down processes as stipulated in the electoral Act 2022 in calling for the substitution, revealing that failure of the commission to include the new candidates in the May 19 date for the final publication of candidates would render the June 18 poll invalid regardless of the outcome.
Awogbemi said that the earlier governorship candidate, Olatawura had written in accordance to the law her voluntary withdrawal as the party’s candidate, which the party subsequently effected and replaced with the name of Alli.
The chairman said, ” We had our primary election on January 26 monitored by the officials of INEC and the security agencies where Christiana Olatawura emerged as the party’s candidate.
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“But after due consultations and meetings by the leadership of the party, we agreed to the fact that we should change our governorship candidate and deputy so for us to put up a good fight during the poll.
“We did the needful by forwarding the name of the new governorship candidate and the former candidate’s withdrawal letter to the commission but unfortunately INEC did not effect it.
“We approached the Ekiti State High Court in Ido-Ekiti presided over by Justice J.A Apuabi to seek redress. The court agreed with us and ordered last week that INEC publish the name of the new candidates; Adeyinka Alli as governorship candidate and Olatawura as the deputy governorship candidate of APP.
“We believe by May 19 the final list of candidates will be published by INEC and we are optimistic that it will be changed to Alli. And if that doesn’t happen, the court will take it up. But let me say that if the commission failed to publish our new candidate, the June 18 poll will be invalid, null and void.”
On why the party made the changes, Awogbemi disclosed that they realised the need for APP to field a more younger governorship candidate in a bid to appeal to the youthful voters towards winning the election.
“We believe that youth form a greater part of the voting population and we want to key into this for us to win on June 18, hence our decision to approach INEC for substitution of the governorship candidate to Adeyinka Alli who is 39-year old.
“He possesses the needed qualities to become the governor of Ekiti State considering his banking experience and exposure as an entrepreneur, which is unmatched,” he said.
Speaking, Alli who expressed optimism that INEC would comply with the court by enlisting him as the APP candidate, noted that the election would be largely determined by the youth, hence his candidature for the June 18 poll.
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