Court orders APC to conduct fresh election

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday ordered All
Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct fresh elections for the
office of National Organising Secretary (NOS) within 30 days.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba gave the order in a judgment on a suit filed
by Sen. Osita Izunaso, the plaintiff and a contestant for the
office of NOS in the recent APC elective convention.

Izunaso had asked the court to determine whether the election
into the office of National Organising Secretary of APC was marred
by violence leading to the disenfranchisement of delegates from
some states.

He further wanted the court to ascertain whether as a result of
the disenfranchisement of some delegates, APC was right in
declaring Mr Emma Ibediro winner of the election since it was
inconclusive. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
APC and Ibediro were named as defendants in the matter. Izunaso
told the court that some thugs loyal to Ibediro, numbering up to
100, disrupted the election into the office.

He said that they broke the ballot box making it impossible for
votes of delegates from Jigawa, Adamawa, Anambra, Abia and Imo to
be counted thereby rendering the election inconclusive.

He claimed that if the votes of those delegates were counted,
they would have bridged the 290 vote margin which Ibediro defeated
him with. According to Izunaso, APC erred by going ahead to
announce Ibediro as winner of the election in spite of the
violence, thuggery and irregularities recorded.

The court agreed that exhibits before it proved that the
election was marred by violence and thuggery, irregularities and
non-compliance with the provisions of the constitution.

It further agreed that the election did not follow the Electoral
Act and the guidelines made by the party for the convention. The
court further noted that the defendants had not presented an
effective defence to the claims made by the plaintiff and as such
it was bound by the evidence before it. On the allegations that the
thugs acted on the authority of Ibediro, Dimgba said it was not
clear on whose authority the thugs acted but that what was clear
was that their actions disrupted the election.

The court also said that INEC failed in its duty as an election
monitor, adding that its dereliction of duty was evident in its
monitoring report. “In the report, INEC said that the elections
were conducted in line with guidelines of the 2018 APC elective
convention and so it failed in its monitoring function with respect
to election into the office of the NOS”.

He therefore ordered that APC should within 30 days, pursuant to
the plaintiffs’ alternative reliefs, conduct a fresh election for
the five states that were disenfranchised. He also ordered INEC to
monitor the repeat election as the body empowered to monitor the
smooth conduct of elections in the country.

According to him, the duty of officers of the commission as
election monitors is not to entertain themselves but to ensure that
the elections comply with provisions of the law. Izunaso had asked
the court to declare him winner of the post of NOS but the court
was of the view that while his complaints were well founded, it was
better to order fresh elections in the affected states.

2019: Youth Parliament Endorses Saraki’s
loyalist
Ahead of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, the
Nigerian Youth Parliament has endorsed the candidacy of Abdulmajeed
Olanrewaju Oba for the Federal House of Representatives.

Mr Olanrewaju Oba who organised the recent Mass Rally for Senate
Bukola Saraki for President, is vying to represent the Asa, Ilorin
West Federal Constituency in the 2019 general elections under the
PDP platform.

Speaking on the endorsement at a Special Occasion of a merit
award of excellence conferment on Oba, the Head of Mission,
Nigerian Youth Parliament, Mr Gideon Obande, said that the
recipient of the award Oba had contributed to youth development in
the state through his advocacies and empowerment programmes.

“The Nigerian Youth Parliament deems it fit as the apex youth
legislative organisation in the country to tour various states of
the country so as to encourage serious young politicians in the
2019 general elections.

“Our searchlight has revealed that Honourable Abdulmajeed
Olanrewaju Oba is the most vibrant young aspirant in Kwara state.
This is seen in his capacity and wide youth acceptance across the
constituency and State of Harmony.

“The Nigerian Youth Parliament is here in the State of Harmony
not just to applaud your distinct efforts in making the ‘Not Too
Young To Run’ a reality in Kwara but to also honour your passion
and desire based on your track records as a youth cum community
emancipator.”

On the award of excellence, Mr Obande said the zeal, meritorious
service and innovative service delivery exhibited by Hon Olanrewaju
make him a worthy recipient of the award.

The Youth parliament named Mr Olanrewaju Oba ‘Icon of hope to
Nigerian Youths and Nation Building’ in recognition of his youth
activities and contribution to the growth of the body in
Nigeria.

Also speaking at the occasion, the President of Agbaji Youths
Solidarity Forum, a pressure group in Kwara State, Othman Tosho has
commended Oba for his supports to various youth groups in the
state..

“We are thrilled to have you present here on this day. Our
resolve as Agbaji youths is to massively support your candidacy
owing to your trademark and landmark achievements in Kwara state,
we are proud that you are a great youth ambassador and we will
stand with you in this journey”.

Responding, Olanrewaju Oba promised to focus on education,
health, creating employment and development of Ilorin West when
elected into the House of Representatives.

Kamaldeen Abdulkareem
Senior Adviser to Hon. Olanrewaju Oba