One of the aspirants that contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election in Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East federal constituency, Dr. Kazeem Adesina Olasupo has called for nullification and cancellation of the primary election held in the constituency.
Olasupo made this call through a petition addressed to the Chairman, Appeal Committee of PDP for Ibadan North East/ Ibadan South East federal constituency.
Olasupo in a petition signed by his solicitor, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN) said that he was surprised to hear the news in the media that the incumbent occupant of the seat, Abass Adigun had been declared winner of a primary election that was alleged to be conducted on Monday, 23rd May, 2022.
He said that the election was conducted on a date and venue not communicated to him by either the party or the officials sent by the party from Abuja to conduct the election.
The claimant in the petition entitled “An appeal for nullification and cancellation of the purported declaration and return of Honourable Abass Adigun as the candidate of PDP for Ibadan North East/ Ibadan South East Federal Constituency of Oyo state” insisted that the party should nullify and cancel the purported announcement and declaration of Adigun as the candidate of the PDP in the constituency.
He threatened that he will be left with no other options than to seek legal redress in the law Court if the appeal committee failed to adequately adjudicate.
Olasupo in the petition, a copy of which were sent to the PDP Chairman in the state, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and made available to DAILY POST on Friday, alleged that those who voted in the purported election were forced to do so on the order of the trio of Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja, National Vice Chairman (South) of PDP, Mr. Dare Adeleke, Chairman of the Pace-Setter Transport Company and Adigun.
The petitioner in his prayers, demanded for a fresh primary election to be conducted in the constituency.
He urged the party to conduct the primary election before the expiration of INEC submission date for candidates of political parties.
The petition written by Gbadamosi on behalf of Olasupo reads, “We act as Solicitors to Dr. Olasupo Kazeem Adesina, a screened and cleared aspirant for the Ibadan North-East/lbadan South-East Federal Constituency of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereinafter referred to “Our Client.
“Sir, the election was progressing smoothly until Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja who is the National Vice Chairman of PDP for the South and Mr. Dare Adeleke who is the current chairman of the Pace-Setter Transport Company (a transportation company wholly owned by the Oyo State Government) together with their favoured candidate, Mr. Abass Adigun Agboworin, invaded the venue of the primary election in company of some armed thugs, hoodlums who were shooting guns sporadically into the air and armed masked personnel who were dressed in Police and Military uniforms disrupted the voting exercise by sending everybody away from the premises.
“Our client was surprised to hear the news in the media that Honourable Abass Adigun had been declared winner of a purported primary election that was alleged to be conducted on Monday, the 23rd May, 2022 on a date and venue not communicated to our client by either the party or the officials sent by the party from Abuja to conduct the said election.
“On a further enquiry by our client from the party leaders and delegates from the Federal Constituency, they informed our client that nobody informed them that the primary election for the House of Representatives had been rescheduled to any other date and that they were not aware of the date and venue of the said purported re-scheduled primary election where Honourable Abass Adigun was said to be announced and declared as the winner on Monday, the 23 rd May, 2022.
“However, the delegates were driven to the Cooperative Hall, Opposite Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan where they had secretly informed INEC officials that the rescheduled primary election for Ibadan North-East/lbadan South-East—Federal Constituency of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was going to take place.
“Our instruction, therefore, is to demand for the nullification and cancellation of the purported announcement and declaration of Honourable Abass Adigumums the candidate of the PDP for the Ibadan North-East/lbadan South-East Federal Constituency in view of non-holding of any primary election in the Federal Constituency by the PDP on the 23 rd May, 2022 or on any other date at all.
“Also, that a valid primary election be conducted among all the screened and cleared aspirants of the party for the Federal Constituency before the elapse of time prescribed by INEC the conduct of same. Thank you for your urgent treatment and kind consideration on this petition written on behalf of our client”.
