Yakubu: 2023 Elections Will Be Fair, Credible, Acceptable

*Says INEC has no candidate in next year’s polls  

*Hints commission working with agencies on security 

Alex Enumah, Udora Orizu in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Action Alliance (AA) party, has again dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim, to court over alleged double nomination, as the court to stop INEC from listing them for next year’s election.

This is as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Idris Wase, has assured Tinubu and Shettima, of his total support in the build-up to the 2023 general election and beyond, because no other candidate is better qualified to lead the country.
At the same time, a chieftain of the ruling party, Chief Ayiri Emami, has said the APC would win the presidency for Tinubu and the party’s governorship candidate in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in next year’s elections.

However, the AA in its earlier suit pending before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, had sought the disqualification of the APC from the 2023 presidential poll over alleged act of perjury on the part of its presidential candidate, Tinubu.
But in a fresh suit instituted yesterday, July 28, the plaintiff has further sought the disqualification of the ruling party on the grounds that it has nominated a candidate for more than one constituency in the 2023 general election.

The act according to the AA, in the fresh suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1256/2022, contravened Section 35 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.
The suit filed on behalf of the plaintiff by Mr Ukpai Ukairo, has INEC, APC, Tinubu and Shettima as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.
It is specifically seeking, “A declaration that the nomination of the 4th defendant by the 3rd defendant as the Vice Presidential Candidate of the 2nd defendant is void arising from the express provision of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022 in that the 4th defendant allowed himself to be nominated in more than one constituency for the 2023 elections.

“A perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd and 4th defendants from holding out themselves as Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates contesting the 2023 Presidential election on the platform of the 2nd defendant.”

Plaintiff also sought another order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from listing the names of Tinubu and Shettima as presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the final list of candidates in the said election and restraining INEC from placing APC on the ballot for the said election.
In an affidavit in support of the suit deposed to by one Mr Kalu Agu, plaintiff claimed that the APC contravened the law, when it submitted the name of Shettima both as candidate for Borno Central Senatorial and Vice President in the 2023 general election.

“The 2nd defendant also submitted the name of the 4th defendant as its Candidate in Borno Central Senatorial election for the 2023 election and the 4th defendant swore to a Form EC9 in his capacity as the said candidate and same was submitted to the 1st defendant.
“That the 4th defendant also on July 15, 2022 submitted another Form EC9 to the 1st defendant through the 2nd defendant and this time he was nominated for Vice Presidential Candidate.

“That the 4th defendant also deposed to the oath constituting the said Form EC9 as being nominated for the position of Vice Presidential Candidate. That Borno Central Senatorial Zone and the Presidential Election are two different constituencies.
“That the Plaintiff applied through me for the certified true copies of the Forms EC9 of the 4th defendant for the Borno Central Senatorial Zone and the Presidential election but the 1st defendant is delaying the release of it to the Plaintiff,” it prayed.  
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Wase: No Candidate is as Qualified as Tinubu

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has assured Tinubu, and Shettima of his total support in the build-up to the 2023 general election and beyond.
Speaking when he received Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Support Group, which was on a courtesy call on his office on Wednesday, Wase reiterated his earlier stand on the capacity of Tinubu.

According to him, there’s no candidate in any political party that can match the quality and candidature of Tinubu, even as he expressed optimism that the APC would come out victorious with the overwhelming majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.
“I want to assure you that we in the House of Representatives, particularly, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), we shall collaborate with every organisation to ensure victory for Tinubu/Shetima ticket. I charge you to go out in full force and campaign for Asiwaju.

“We have good products to sell. This is somebody that had turned around the economy of Lagos within a short time and has built people across the country, irrespective of region or religion. I charged you all to go out in full force with your head high seeking those votes as you have a good product to sell to Nigerians. I urged you not to relent in ensuring the victory for our candidates,” Wase said.

Earlier, National Coordinator of the organisation, Hon. Oyinkansola Okiwuyi, said they were in the National Assembly to seek the support and cooperation of the deputy speaker and to also inform him about the strategy they were using to galvanise and solicit for votes.

APC Chief Promises Delta’ll Deliver Tinubu, Omo-Agege

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress Party (APC), Chief Ayiri Emami, has said the ruling party would win the presidency for Tinubu in next year’s presidential election.
He also assured the people that the party would snatch Delta for APC from the ruling PDP by voting massively for the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Omo-Agege, who is currently the Deputy President of the Senate.

Emami gave the assurance yesterday, when he received Elder Godsday Orubebe, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Director General of Ovie Omo-Agege gubernatorial campaign committee at his Ubeji residence.
He said Tinubu and Omo-Agege’s emergence in 2023 elections was a collective project that would be executed with all efforts by their teeming supporters in the state.

The APC chieftain, however, stressed the need for unity of purpose amongst all the ethnic nationalities in the state to ensure the elections of Tinubu and Omo-Agege, noting that the presidential candidate was an in-law of Delta State, while Omo-Agege has united the party in the state more than ever before.
Emami promised to work with Orubebe in achieving the target goals by making available his teeming supporters to serve in any capacity to ensure that the party won the 2023 elections.

Another Chieftain of the party, Yemi Emiko, while eulogising Orubebe’s political wizardry, said it was not a coincidence that he was made the Director General of Ovie Omo-Agege gubernatorial campaign committee having held political positions at the state and national levels in the past.
Orubebe, while appreciating the leadership qualities of Emami, said he had to pay him the visit knowing that he has been a consistent member and leader of APC since he joined the party.
He solicited for more support and collaboration to ensure that Tinubu and Omo-Agege emerged during 2023 elections.