The anticipated legal battles in the All Progressives Congress, APC, as Senator Ayo Arise whose name was omitted in the final list of candidates has dragged the party court to challenge the outcome of the Ekiti North Senatorial District primary.
Sen Arise, who formerly represented Ekiti North at the National Assembly, contested in the May APC primary but his name did not appear in the final list of candidates.
Speaking during an interview in Ado-Ekiti, Arise said his decision to institute legal action immediately after the primary was informed by his understanding of the timelines stipulated by Nigeria’s electoral act, noting that he was not surprised when his name was eventually omitted from the list of party candidates.
He said the legal action is not driven by personal ambition but by the need to ensure that political parties comply with their own rules and uphold democratic principles.
Arise explained that he filed his suit within the legally prescribed period to avoid losing the opportunity to seek judicial intervention, arguing that waiting for subsequent announcements by the party would have rendered any legal action ineffective.
Arise pointed out that many aspirants were misled into waiting for declarations by the party’s national leadership, despite provisions in the APC guidelines indicating how the primary process should be concluded.
He said the party’s actions were inconsistent with its own guidelines governing the conduct of the primary election.
His words, “I went ahead and filed my case in court because I knew what was coming. That is why I was not surprised at the outcome. This is not about me; it is about ensuring that we have a system that works for everybody”.
“If anyone decides to file now, that person would already be out of time. My lawyer understood the law, and we filed within the required timeline.
Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kwande and Ushongo Local Government Areas of Benue State have staged a peaceful protest in Lessel, the headquarters of Ushongo LGA, demanding that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) respect the outcome of the House of Representatives primary election for the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.
The protesters insisted that the alleged winner of the May 16 APC primary, Prof. Iornem Kohol, should be recognised as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election, rejecting reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination forms had allegedly been issued to the incumbent lawmaker, Rep. Terseer Ugbor.
Prof Kohol was said to have emerged winner of the primary after polling 40,672 votes to defeat five other aspirants, including Rep. Ugbor, who scored 750 votes.
The protest was led by APC members, including Comrade Ken Kaase, Aondolumun Ordorugh and Fidelis of Mbakuha, who urged the party leadership to protect the integrity of its primary election by respecting the mandate freely given by members.
The protesters described the reported development as a violation of the wishes of party members, insisting they did not vote for the incumbent during the primary election.
They warned that any attempt to disregard the outcome of the exercise would undermine the APC’s internal democracy and erode the confidence of members in the party’s electoral process.
They also argued that the House of Representatives seat should rotate to Ushongo, noting that Kwande had occupied the position for about 20 years, while Ushongo had not produced a representative in 16 years.
Responding, Adzu acknowledged their concerns and assured them that their grievances would be conveyed to Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He also expressed confidence that the candidate who emerged through the democratic process would ultimately be recognised.
Credit: Abuja Reports
