The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State chapter has
drawn the ire of the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants as
well as the delegates over the sudden postponement of the party’s
primary slated for Saturday, September 28.
Citing insecurity as the reason, the APC said it postponed the
council primary in Ado and Ikole Local Councils, which angered the
aspirants and delegates and gave room for alleged plot to impose
some preferred chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.
The State Independent Electoral Commission will conduct the
elections by December 7, 2019.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, the party’s
spokesperson, Hon. Ade Ajayi, said that a new date would be
communicated to all stakeholders soon.
Miffed by the postponement, some aspirants, supporters and their
delegates have accused the party of plotting to impose a particular
candidate on the people.
Two of the aspirants, who spoke to newsmen at the venue of the
primary — Alhaji Tajudeen Gidado and Mrs Tosin Aluko — accused the
leadership of the party of being undemocratic, warning that they
would resist any imposition.
Mrs Aluko lamented that the leadership of the party were
determined to impose a candidate on them.
“I just heard it here now that the election has been postponed.
I don’t want to believe it because Governor Kayode Fayemi issued a
statement last week that there would be primary election and that
there won’t be any imposition.
“We have been waiting here since morning for the primary. Some
people are with the Deputy Chairman of the party now, Sola Elesin.
They don’t want the election to hold because of the plan they have
to impose one of us as the candidate.
“I don’t know why they are doing this. They should allow people
to make their choice because this is democracy. They are doing this
because they want to impose someone. But the governor they are
dropping his name has come out to say he has no preferred
candidate,” she said.
One of the delegates, Mr Adeyeye Kayode, said: “We don’t know
why they are postponing the election. The candidates and delegates
are here and everywhere is peaceful.
“We have not seen anybody except the police. They told us that
they are fully prepared for the election. We are now thinking that
what we heard that there won’t be election in Ado Ekiti is coming
to pass. We are afraid that if we leave here now they might come
around 4 pm and do kangaroo election. We should allow people to
participate, that is why it is democracy.”
An agent of one of the aspirants, Babatunde Adesanmi, said: “As
far as we are concerned, we are not aware, you are just telling us.
You people can see that the atmosphere here is conducive for any
election. I don’t see any reason for the postponement.
“The only reason should be if the materials are not available.
That is the only reason or if the atmosphere is not conducive, but
as you can see, the police are here to maintain peace already.”
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Tunde Fowler FIRS
Tenure Elongation: FIRS Boss, Fowler Dragged to
Court
…To return all salaries, earnings during ‘illegal’ stay
in office
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the appearance
of the Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde
Fowler to appear before it on October 7, 2019 and show cause why he
should not be sacked for overstaying his tenure which expired on
August 18, 2019.
The presiding judge of the High Court, Justice Lewis Allagoa
after hearing a plaintiff’s counsel on September 23, 2019, also
ordered that the defendant should be served in Abuja and filed
their defence within five days.
In court documents obtained by PRNigeria[1] with Suit No
FHC/KN/CS/141/2019, the FIRS Boss was dragged to Court over his
continued stay in office after the expiration of tenure.
The Plaintiff, Mr. Stanley Okwara, in a suit filed on September
18, 2019 and obtained on Saturday, also joined the Attorney General
of the Federation as the second defendant.
In the originating summon, the two defendants were given 30 days
to explain why Fowler who was appointed on the 20th August, 2015,
has not ceased to hold office as the Chairman of FIRS after the
20th August, 2019 in accordance with the “decision of the Supreme
Court…and having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 3(2)
(a), Section 4(a) and Section 11 (a)” of the agency.
The Plaintiffs also sought to know whether the continuous stay
of Fowler in the office “is not illegal in view of the decision of
the Supreme Court in Ogbuinyinya & Ors. vs. Obi Okudo &
Ors. (1979) All N.L.R. 105 and having regard to the combined
provisions of Sections of the FIRS [Establishment] Act, 2007.
In the same vein, Okwara in the suit filed through Johnmary C.
Jideobi & Co, sought other reliefs including: “A declaration
that the 1st Defendant has ceased to hold office as the Chairman of
the Federal Inland Revenue Service after the 20th of August, 2019”;
and that his continuous stay in the office is illegal.
He further sought “an order barring the 1st Defendant from
further holding himself out as, laying claim to or exercising the
powers and functions of, the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland
Revenue Service unless he is re-appointed by the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“An order directing the 1st Defendant to return forthwith to the
Treasury Single Account of the Federation all the salaries,
emoluments and such other kindred monetary benefits he has been
drawing on the purse of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and file
an affidavit of compliance within 14 days after the delivery of
judgment in this suit.”
The Plaintiff also asked that Fowler be caused ordered to obey
any other decision that the Court may deem fit to make in the
entire circumstances of the case.