One of the aspirants who contested the Ondo North Senatorial District ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has again lashed out at the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.
Abayomi, who was the preferred candidate of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at a press conference held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, slammed Oshiomhole for his disregard to the constitution of the party.
According to Abayomi, a constitutional lawyer, he is in “serious pain” for the alleged substitution of his name with that of the incumbent senator representing the district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the party’s candidate in 2019 by the National Working Committee, NWC.
“With regard to the present issue, the constitution of APC forbids “Automatic ticket”.
“A candidate, according to the constitution “means any person who has been nominated at a primary or party election to contest at a general election”. You must first be nominated at a primary election under APC constitution to become a candidate.
“In section 20 of the APC constitution “Nomination of candidates for Senate shall be through direct or indirect primary election to be conducted at the appropriate level”. No option is given to APC Chairman of NWC to force any direct primary on any state. It is not like a pool that can be fixed.
“The APC Chairman and his National Working Committee have become very notorious for false claims, wrong assumption of power and unconstitutionalism.
“They have become government of persons and not of the law. They have become an unregulated government over the members of the party.”
Abayomi further accused the party’s chairman for allegedly screening him out of the primaries which according to him, he emerged the winner.
He, however, stated that Oshiomhole must do the needful by adhering to the party’s constitution.
“On October 6, 2018, I participated in my ward in the APC primary with other senatorial aspirants and came first and was declared winner by the party.
“It is therefore strange that my brother Senator. Ajayi Boroffice, who did not win in the APC primary, will wrongly, improperly, unlawfully, unjustly and unconstitutionally be declared a candidate for the Ondo North Senatorial Zone by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“I found it also disappointing that Senator Boroffice would accept an unjust and unfair victory.
“In my view, power to propose granted to the NWC of APC defeats, power to declare, assume or enforce. So it is today that my party APC is headed by a chairman that cannot even obey APC constitution. Do you then wonder why we have crises everywhere?”
Abayomi also hinted that he will contest the 2019 election on another platform.
“Oshiomhole and his NWC’s have blocked my right to political participation as a winning candidate.
“In consequences, I will not relent in demanding immediate remedy that conforms with the constitution of the constitution of Nigeria and that of APC.
“In the meantime, I have begun consultation with the party members in Ondo North Senatorial Zone to explore all remedies that are available and allowable, taking into consideration the interest of our people,” he stated.
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