HUMAN rights activist and aspirant for Egbeda/Ona Ara federal constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Moshood Erubami, has protested over alleged non-conduct of the primaries in the federal constituency.
In a statement released to newsmen, Erubami said no primaries took place on May 27, 2022 to elect the candidate of the party for the general election, stating that “no primaries was held and no one was elected.”
In the protest letter sent to party members, the human rights activist said: “We are basing our position and possible appeal to the higher authorities in our party on the issues of flying of multiple Delegate lists, absence of official delegate list at the venue of the primary, presence of unofficial supervisors with legitimate letter of engagement at the venue, despite the presence of very tight police security and DSS.
“The fake supervisors that were present confessed their fake status and begged for secured passage out of the venue which the Army later provided, making the meeting to become that of democracy at gun point.”
Lamenting at the extent to which democracy was trampled upon, Erubami said: “Preceding the failed primary, the so-called primary documents were taken out from the pockets of the fake officials, they came into the venue with black nylon without any official documents from the APC.
“It was very clear who manifested the frauds that were resisted at the venue of the failed primaries.
“Two of the three aspirants, Comrade Mashood Erubami and Mr Akinola Akinjide, against the incumbent, Mr Akin Alabi, but along with our people, decided not to allow the use of fake delegate lists for the conduct of the primary.
“As it is, we successfully waded through the maradonic years of Babangida and turbulent years of Abacha in our quest for a democratic order despite a series of punishments & detentions. This prevailing Shenanigan in our current politics shall be overthrown and dust in the basket of historical impunity.
“We shall not be defeated or pushed back by those that did not join us in the foremost democratic struggle to come and reap the juicy fruits of our struggles.
“We shall continue to fight for democracy and good governance in the Party and outside, through decisive actions and joint effort of the collectives for the liberation of our people.
We shall change the political trends that have made us to be where we are until we can say Alhamdulillah for His grace.
“It’s not over until all issues in the failed primaries of yesterday (Friday) are resolved.”
Erubami also petitioned the chairman of the Oyo APC Primary Election Appeal Committee, Mr Adeoye AbdulRasaq, over the development.
In the petition, Erubami said, “We have gathered at the venue of the primary as directed by the Supervisory Panel Chair and members, hoping that a good primary will be conducted from where a democratically elected aspirant will become the candidate of the party, but we were surprised that nobody from the party was in charge legitimately with acceptable party delegates list/ documents and letter of engagement that point to the seriousness of the party’s preparations too.
“For avoidance of doubt, we all met there with other aspirant’s. Prior to the time schedule for the primary exercise, a meeting was scheduled for 10.00.a.m. at the Premier Hotels. We attended the meeting and met with the introduced convenors of our delegates primaries in Oyo State.
“At the meeting, we were informed to go to our various venues at the party secretariat.
“At around 4.p.m, the police officers and INEC OFFICIALS AND 2 MEN AND A LADY CAME UP AND CLAIMED THEY WERE SENT FROM Abuja.
Ironically, they insisted that they could not submit themselves to the processes of transparency and accountability.
“People demanded for their ID Card, letter of engagement and the original delegate list to be used to conduct the primariry. They claimed they are under instruction not to show the list but to just commence accreditation of delegates and conclude the election.
“The aspirant’s insisted that they must be sure of the authenticity of the delegate list because series of lusts have been flowing around in the last three days which made the conduct of the House of Assembly election inconclusive.
“The so-called party officials insisted they will not show the list. After some pressures on them to do the necessary, they recluded into a room upstairs with one of the aspirant’s who is being suspected to be behind the emergence of fake lust.
“The insistence of the party officers rad serious doubts about their authentity and legitimacy.
The leaders of the party from the two local government that made up the Egbeda Ona Ara Federal Constituency, including the chair of Egbeda and Ona Ara LGA, met and resolved that two aspirants from among the three raised issues with the delegate list. Only one aspirant who is being suspected to have raised the suspected list agreed that they shoud use the suspected list.
“Paradoxically, the aspirant in question was not present when the democratically elected Adhoc delegates were being elected.
“It is suprising that he now has a list on his own to conduct the primary when in actual fact, the list was taken out of the picket of one of those who claimed they came from Abuja.
The police waited till after 6.p.m before they left the scene. The INEC OFFICIALS LEFT EARLIER WITHOUT INFORMING ANYBODY !
“We are democrats and convinced members of the APC. We have refrained from believing the negative information flying about that those behind these fraudulent acts are being backed by Some Party leaders. This is why we have also refrained from joining forces with their Thugs brought into the venue of the failed primary.
“Finally, we are sensing that the INEC will soon extend the stringent date condition attached to when parties candidates should be submitted, we therefore strongly but humbly call on your Honourable Panel to urgently look into our petition and the issues raised in it, to liaise with appropriate organs of the party that set up your panel to call their attention to remedial actions that needs to be taken immediately.”
