Tag: Jimoh Ibrahim

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Executive Committee of Igbotako Ward II in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State have suspended the senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, form the party.

Ibrahim contested the party’s governorship primary on April 20 but lost to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

He was among the aspirants who rejected the results of the primary and sued the party and the governor over the outcome of the shadow poll.

Members of the party’s Executive Committee in his Igbotako Ward II announced Ibrahim’s suspension after its meeting.

In a statement by 29 executive members of the executive committee, the party said Ibrahim’s actions and activities violated the party’s constitution, “particularly his decision to sue the party, as well as his anti-party activities”.

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It added: “As such, we have resolved to take appropriate disciplinary action against him, as outlined in the party’s constitution.

“Senator Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim is hereby suspended from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect for acts of insubordination and anti-party activities in accordance with Article 21, Section A of APC Constitution.

“It is worth recalling that the National Chairman of APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, met with all Ondo State governorship aspirants on April 25, 2024, in Abuja.

“During the meeting, he urged them to cooperate with the party’s candidate and incumbent governor of Ondo State, Honorable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.

“Despite this, Senator Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim proceeded to sue the governor and APC, blatantly disregarding the party’s instructions.

“Additionally, he has engaged in anti-party activities by urging his supporters in Igbotako and Ondo State to join the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), claiming he would soon receive the governorship ticket from them.

“Senator Jimoh has openly declared his intent to disrupt APC before leaving the party, as evidenced by his actions in the Federal High Court in Abuja and his derogatory remarks about APC in various media outlets.”

Also, 55 members of the executives and members of APC in Igbotako Ward II of Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State have passed a vote of confidence in Jimoh Ibrahim.

The 55 party members spoke at an emergency held last Thursday where they declared support for Ibrahim.

Those who signed the resolutions included Otekaye Alana Sunday and Olowole Musa, Secretary and Assistant Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the party in the ward.

In their resolution, the party executives and members insisted that no governorship primary election took place in Okitipupa Local Government Area on April 20.

They declared support for Ibrahim’s quest to seek justice in the court of law on the outcome of the party’s primary.

The resolution reads: “At the general meeting of Igbotako Ward II held today, Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 4 p.m, we reviewed the fraudulent election of Saturday, April 20, 2024 and resolved as follows:

“That no election took place at Igbotako Ward II and indeed all the other wards in Okitipupa Local Government Area;

“That we are surprised to see votes allotted to contestants by the Ododo-led Committee;

“We hereby pass a vote of absolute ‘Confidence’ in our leader, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.”

The senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, has urged some leaders of the All Progressives Congress to meet him in court over calls that he should be sanctioned for rejecting the outcome of the party’s governorship primary.

Senator Ibrahim said anybody aggrieved over his action should wait for the court’s ruling.

Ibrahim who spoke through a spokesman for his campaign organisation, Banji Okunomo, said: “We are already in court. Whoever is aggrieved should meet us in court.”

Read Also: Jimoh Ibrahim urges court to void Aiyedatiwa’s nomination as APC’s candidate

Recall that some leaders in Ondo called on the national leadership of the party to sanction Senator Ibrahim and Chief Olusola Oke for allegedly undermining the democratic process and instigating a crisis over the concluded party’s primary in the state.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner of the APC primary but Senator Ibrahim, Chief Oke and some aspirants rejected the outcome of the primary.

Senator Ibrahim has filed a suit before a Federal High seeking cancellation of the primary.

They alleged that Senator Ibrahim was working with some desperate politicians in the opposition political party to distract the APC’s preparations for the November governorship election.

…court okays substituted service on Aiyedatiwa through APC

Businessman and senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to void the nomination of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The requests form part of the reliefs being sought in a suit Ibrahim filed, challenging the process leading to Aiyedatiwa’s emergence as the APC’s candidate.

Listed as defendants in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/588/2024 are the APC, Aiyedatiwa, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ibrahim, who was a governorship aspirant of the APC, claimed that the primary election held by the party on April 20, which purportedly produced Aiyedatiwa as the candidate, was unlawful and was marred by irregularities.

He alleged that sections 221 and 228 of the Constitution and Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 were violated in the conduct of the primary election by the APC.

Ibrahim claimed that some delegates, who could have voted for him at the primary election, were not accredited to vote thereby making the primary election liable to be set aside and nullified.

He wants the court to issue an order, restraining INEC from accepting Aiyedatiwa’s name as the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election.

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Ibrahim wants the court to also issue an order of perpetual injunction, prohibiting Aiyedatiwa from further holding himself out or parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC.

The plaintiff is equally praying the court to set aside the purported primary election and compel the APC to conduct a fresh one in compliance with sections 221, and 228 of the 1999 Constitution and that of 84 of the Electoral Act 2022.

He wants the court to delist the names of the APC and Aiyedatiwa from the political parties and candidates that would participate in the governorship election.

Ibrahim also wants the court to strip the APC and Aiyedatiwa of all rights as it relate to the election, except a fresh primary election is lawfully conducted to nominate a lawful candidate for the APC in the governorship election.

At the mention of the case on Wednesday, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) informed the court about a pending motion ex-parte for substituted service, filed by his client.

With the permission of the court, Uche proceeded to move the application, which the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted in a brief ruling.

Justice Ekwo ordered Ibrahim to, within two days serve all documents relating to the case on all the defendants, including Aiyedatiwa, who should be served through the headquarters of the APC in Abuja.

“Leave is granted the plaintiff/applicant to serve the originating summons and all other processes of this court in this suit on the second defendant (Aiyedatiwa) by substituted means to wit – by delivery of same to any staff at the All Progressives Congress’ National Headquarters at No. 40, Blantyre Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja being the political party of the second defendant.

“Service to be effected within two days of this order. Case adjourned to 14th May 2024 for mention,” the judge said.

More governorship aspirants who participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary have filed petitions at the Primary Appeal Committee headed by a former governor of Bauchi state, Abdullahi Abubakar.

Those who filed petitions were Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and Folakemi Omogoroye.

They join previous appellants Wale Akinterinwa, Jimi Odimayo, and Olugbenga Edema.

In the petitions filed by both Senator Ibrahim and Omogoroye, they claimed the APC governorship primary was marred with irregularities and fell short of appreciable standards.

They characterize the process as a disappointment, a mockery of democracy, and a complete departure from established democratic principles.

Omogoroye called for the cancellation of the primary and the conduct of a fresh primary.

She said: “I am urging you to cancel the election and order a fresh election in which all the laid down guidelines for a credible election will be followed and a level playing ground will be assured and ensured for all players in the election.

“Anything short of this is an open endorsement of the robbery of Saturday by the leadership of our party”

Senator Ibrahim called for the cancellation of the primary for non-compliance with the rules, non-provision of electoral materials, non-accreditation of agents, and gross misconduct.

His petition reads in parts: “This is an appeal to your committee to cancel the Primary election held in Ondo state on 20th April 2024 on the ground that there was no election in the 203 wards and this is evidenced from the many petitions before your committee as captured on the ground below.

“Ground One non-compliance with your rules, I paid the sum of N100m  for the validation of over 40 thousand party members, and those members were not allowed to be revalidated across Ondo state, this was because no voters register was made available in the wards to which members could be validated

“On ground two on provision of electoral materials electoral materials were provided for the conduct of the election, the local government electoral officials were kept in the hotel during the period of the election for several hours and only result sheets were given to them. The ward electoral officers were provided by one of the aspirants, Lucky Ayedatiwa.

“My agents were not accredited in all the wards, and they did not sign election result sheets since none was made available to them.

“I received in my house in the village, Igbotako at 7 pm on the day of the election the local government returning officer and members of his committee. They informed me that they were in my house to capture my vote but I sent them away since my house is not a polling venue. The returning officer said he was instructed from above.

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“Based on the four grounds stated above, the election should be cancelled and re-conducted immediately.”

Meanwhile, none of the 15 aspirants that last at the primary, has congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on his victory at the polls.

Six out of the 15 aspirants have filed petitions before the Appeal Committee.

Some of the aspirants who pleaded anonymity said they were still in the situation.

However, the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs,  Alhaji Amidu Takuro, called on other aspirants to support Aiyedatiwa to sustain and improve on the good legacies of late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Alhaji Takuro spoke while addressing the Management and Staff of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in his Akure office.

Takuro said Aiyedatiwa would leave no stone unturned to make life better for the people of the State.

While seeking support from the Governor, Takuro added that Aiyedatiwa will prioritise the welfare of workers and that of the entire citizenry.

The state chairman of the Ondo APC, Ade Adetimehin, said all members of the party must work together ahead of the November governorship.

He spoke when Governor Aiyedatiwa paid a ‘Thank You’ visit to Ondo APC party secretariat

He said: “Primary election in APC is a family affair. We have elected our governorship candidate. Now that the primary is over, we must remain the same progressive family and we must all come together for the election in November.

“The last time the governor was here, he came as an aspirant but today, he has come as the candidate of our party. Now that our candidate has emerged, all other aspirants and party leaders must join hands to support him for the success of the party in the November election.

“We have what it takes to win and we have a good candidate. Most of the leaders of the opposition parties are already planning to join our party. We must win in a landslide in November as a ruling party with credible candidate.”

The governor said there was a need to put the party to order for the electoral battle ahead.

He later unveiled his campaign headquarters located along Oba Adesida Road in Akure.

A group, Corporate Professional Colleagues, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC), to anoint Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.

 The group,  in a statement signed by the Coordinator, Barr. Chijioke Ndubuisi and the Secretary, Rtd Navy Chief Mr. Emmanuel Adegum, said: “We, the corporate professional colleagues, friends and associates of Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim C.F.R, hereby unreservedly confirm and affirm that Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim C.F.R is the most competent of all the governorship aspirants jostling to lead the Sunshine state, Ondo at this critical time.

“Ondo State needs at this particular moment in history, a man who has all it takes, the sophistication, track record, intellectual supremo,  economic knowledge and moral invulnerability to transform the state and bring about unprecedented development by harnessing natural endowment of the state and giving good governance to the sunshine state.

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“The state needs a man who has global contacts, a trail blazer, and pathfinder with a bit of maverick stints in approach to governance. The state does not need status quo persons in power but a progressive minded person to bring about the desired development without changing the wheels. Dr Jimoh Ibrahim C.F.R possesses the above qualities to lead the Sunshine state at this stage.

“We, the corporate professional colleagues and friends across the nation wish to appeal to all APC voters in Ondo governorship primary election coming up this April 2024 to reason with us without sentiments and vote Dr Jimoh Ibrahim C.F.R as the flag bearer of APC in the state governorship election coming up in November.”