Oyo ADC crisis deepens as more aspirants sue party, its leaders

The crisis in the Oyo State chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC) has deepened.

Some senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants have sued the party and its leaders for allegedly giving tickets to the party’s candidates without due process.

Twelve other aspirants had filed a suit against the nomination of Senator Olufemi Lanlehin as ADC’s governorship candidate.

Also, the party’s aspirant for Oyo South Senatorial District, Olatunji Haastrup Adewale (aka Murphy), filed another suit at a Federal High Court, praying it to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject the nomination of its candidate, Senator Soji Akanbi, for next year’s elections.

Other plaintiffs in the joint suit also prayed the court to reject the ADC’s nomination of Messrs Wasiu Olatubosun, Adeyemi Adekunle Yakub, Gaphar Ojetola and Abiola Ahmed Akindipe as candidates for Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency; Ibadan North East II, Ibadan North I and Ibadan North West.

The plaintiffs in the matter include Aderemi Olajide, Olasunbo Olalekan Olakunle, Seun Segun Akinborewa, Kolawole Abass-Alesinloye and Olufemi Josiah.

In the suit jointly and severally instituted by the ADC members, the defendants alongside Senator Akanbi are the ADC itself; its National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu; National Vice Chairman, Dr. Dele Ajadi; National Secretary, Alhaji Saidi Baba Abdullahi and National Legal Adviser, Mr. Peter Oyewole, who doubles as the Chairman of Oyo State Primary Screening Committee.

Also joined as defendants are: the State Chairman, Dr. Ahmed Ayinla, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Chief Michael Koleoso, Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun, Adeyemi Adekunle Yakub, Gaphar Ojetola, Abiola Ahmed Akindipe, Dr. Busari Adebisi, Chief Layiwola Olakojo and INEC.

The contentious constituencies, according to the plaintiffs in the suit filed by their counsel Olusola A. Dare, are: the Oyo South Senatorial District, Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency, Ibadan North East II State Constituency, Ibadan North West and Ibadan North I State constituencies.

The plaintiffs are seeking the court’s determination on whether the ADC can nominate a candidate or submit the name of a candidate to the INEC as its candidates to contest senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly without complying with Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), Article 20 of the constitution of the ADC and the guidelines for party’s screening and primaries for next year’s general elections.