Action Alliance denies working against Ajimobi

 The Oyo State chapter of the Action Alliance has denied being sponsored to jeopardise the victory of Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the April 26 governorship election in the state.

The AA had protested the non-inclusion of its name and logo on the ballot papers used for the election, insisting that it would seek redress in court.

But there were speculations on Monday that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, was in alliance with the candidate of the Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, to sponsor legal battle with the aim of scuttling Ajimobi’s victory.

It was speculated that N50m had been made available to the AA, in addition to the services of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, already procured for the party.

While Ladoja has since denied the insinuation, Alao-Akala’s spokesman, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, insisted that it was AA’s prerogative to do what it wished with its constitutional liberty.

The state chairman of the AA, Mr. Kelani Anifowose, described the speculations as wicked and untenable, saying that the party had gone to court on the issue since February, long before the election held last week.

Anifowose was joined at the press conference by the party’s governorship candidate, Mr.Taiwo Otegbeye, and the party’s Secretary, Mr. Olu Omotoso, among others.

“The issue on ground is not about any personality or individual, it is about seeking redress in accordance with the Electoral Law, which is not hidden from anybody and the case is simply between our party and the Independent National Electoral Commission,” he said

Otegbeye said he was not concerned about any primordial sentiment being raised in some quarters that being an Ibadan indegene, he should not be seen to want to truncate the victory of another Ibadan man.

While insisting that the party is out to pursue the case to a logical conclusion, he explained that it was clear to everybody that his party’s name and logo were missing on the ballot paper. He noted that nobody felt concerned then and wondered why people who did not feel concerned when the illegality was being committed were now interested in the outcome of the illegality.

Otegbeye disclosed that no amount of money could assuage the feelings of the party members as well as their supporters across the state who were disenfranchised by the INEC.

He said that the prayer before the court was “to compel the electoral body to include the name and the logo of Action Alliance on the ballot papers and allow it to exercise its right of participation in the election.”
By Olalekan Adetayo, Ibadan             Courtesy Of: Punch