- Safiu Kehinde
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified an aspirant in Ekiti State, Engr Kayode Ojo, from participating in the party’s primary election and gubernatorial race in the state.
Ojo’s disqualification was announced by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Thursday in Abuja.
The APC NWC disqualified Ojo and Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi from participating in the October 27 primaries, leaving the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and Omolayo Oluremi as the two aspirants left to contest in the primaries.
The party’s screening committee, led by Tunji Olawuyi, had previously given Ojo a provisional clearance and referred his case to the NWC.
“This referral is necessitated by the weight of the petitions against him, particularly his failure to satisfy the mandatory threshold of five valid nominators per local government, and is intended to forestall potential litigation(s) that may arise from this deficiency which is inconsistent with Article 9(1) of the Constitution, which provides that only registered and financially up-to-date members of the party have the right to vote and be voted for, and Section 177 )c) of 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires membership of a political party as a pre-requisite for eligibility to contest the Office of Governor.” The panel said.
“The disqualification of these two people was predicated on the fact that they did not conform with the provisions of the constitution of the party and also the extant provisions of the electoral act.” He said.
Reacting to the news of his disqualification, Ojo, accepted the judgment of the NWC, stressing that the party is supreme.
He however, expressed hope that the NWC will review his case so that he can be on the ballot during the primary.