Kwara APC faction protests INEC’s exclusion of its NASS candidates

Chairman of the court-backed All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, Hon. Ishola Balogun-Fulani has protested non-listing of the party’s candidates in the list of National Assembly candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Friday, Balogun-Fulani decried and condemned the decision of INEC to list the candidates of the factional APC led by Bashir Bolarinwa.

Balogun-Fulani also said that his party viewed the INEC’s action as tantamount to disobeying the court judgment affirming him as authentic state chairman of APC.

“Furthermore, the release of the candidates’ lists of January 17, 2019, indicates that Bolarinwa’s faction’s candidates were listed; even though with “court ordered” indicated against their names.

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“The whole world is, however, to be made aware that there has not been any court sitting in Ilorin where any order of court has been made to counter the judgment of Kwara state High Court of December 19, 2018 in favour of Balogun-Fulani led executive which makes the dropping of candidates produced by Balogun-Fulani led executive most condemnable, highly suspicious and a product of pre-arrangement between INEC and Bolarinwa led faction.

“Kwara APC viewed this action as tantamount to disobeying court judgment. It is on record that court judgment on Rivers APC crisis was fully obeyed by INEC but the same INEC  fragrantly disobeyed the court judgment in the case of Kwara state APC”, he said.

Balogun-Fulani warned that the action of INEC is capable of generating unnecessary anxiety, tension, provocation and breakdown of law and order.

“It is in the public knowledge that INEC chairman, categorically, in electronic media, affirmed the readiness of INEC to obey all court judgements and orders including the judgement of Kwara state High Court delivered on December 19,  2018, which affirmed Balogun-Fulani state executive and all actions taken by his executive including nomination of candidates for 2019 general elections.

“The present attitude of INEC chairman and the entire INEC in turning around to deal with Bolarinwa executive and accept candidates present by them amounts to summersault and open display of bias and flagrant disobedience of lawful order of the court.

“This act of double standard on the part of INEC, despite the promises and public pronouncement made by INEC national chairman to obey all court judgements is unacceptable.

“Kwara state APC, hereby, enjoins INEC to do the needful so as to avoid seeking further legal redress because Kwara state APC led by Ishola Balogun-Fulani is law-abiding and will continue to ventilate their grievances through court process rather than taking the law into their hands”, he said.