The Action Alliance (AA) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to recognize its candidates for this year’s general election.

National Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, said his party was at a loss as to why the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC was reluctant to accept the list of candidates.

He said this was despite INEC being aware of several court judgments, including those of the Court of Appeal, recognising him as the authentic National Chairman of the party.

Omo-Aje spoke in Abuja on Saturday at the unveiling of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) as part of the AA’s ongoing campaign and mobilisation strategy.

Omo-Aje, who accused the INEC Chair of being sympathetic to the party’s sacked National Chairman – Kenneth Udeze, stated that the electoral body would imperil the general elections if his party ‘s candidates were unlawfully excluded.

He said his party will challenge such unlawful exclusion in court, including asking for a total cancellation of all the elections.

Omo-Aje said: “INEC Chairman has refused to upload the list of all our party’s candidates for 2023 elections from Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, the authentic National Chairman.

“And this he (Yakubu) is doing in defiance of various court orders as that asked him to recognize Omo-Aje as National Chairman and, desist from further dealings with Kenneth Udeze.

“Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in honouring of the list submitted by Kenneth Udeze, whom court judgments had classified as an ‘interloper,’ is acting illegally. This smells of an agenda to ambush 2023 general elections.

“We are doing this to alert all concerned, most especially other political parties, who are already investing heavily in their campaigns right now; the National Assembly and other Nigerians, who are looking up to better election following the amended Electoral Acts, that is being applauded widely.

“It must be noted here going forward that Prof Mahmood Yakubu is already setting a booby trap on the road to 2023 general elections

“Our plans are in phases on this matter. Starting with this, our next move is to pass a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the commission as headed by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. We have no trust that he can organize free, fair, and credible general elections.

“After this, we shall move to the National Assembly on a protest and, to submit our protest letter and to inform our lawmakers that, if Mahmood is not called to order, there will be negative consequential effects on the outcome of 2023 elections.

“We shall use all legal channels to ensure we get justice against any form of exclusion from presenting our candidates for elections, and every such election stands the chances of annulment by law,” Omo-Aje said.

Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, in a December 22, 2022 ruling, rejected Udeze’s application to set aside the court’s November 4, 2022 judgement recognising the candidates produced by the Omo-Aje leadership of the party.

Justice Abubakar noted that Udeze’s suspension and expulsion as the AA Chairman had been upheld in two judgments issued by the Court of Appeal.

In the November 4 judgement (which was also delivered by Justice Abubakar) the court ordered INEC to accept the list of candidates submitted to it by the Omo-Aje leadership of the AA and to discountenance the candidates submitted by Udeze, among which was Major Hamzat Al-Mustpha, listed as a presidential candidate.

In the December 22 ruling, Justice Abubakar noted that, with the two subsisting judgments of the Court of Appeal and another decision by a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Udeze cannot lawfully lay claim to being the Chairman of the party.

The judge described Udeze as a busy body and meddlesome interloper, trying to interfere in the affairs of the party from which he was suspended and later expelled.

The two judgments of the Court of Appeal were delivered on January 7 and November 11, 2022, while the ruling by the Federal High Court in Abeokuta was delivered on September 8, 2022 by Justice J. O. Abdulmalik in a suit marked: FHC/AB/CS/120/2022. (The Nation)

•Photo combination of AA National Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje and INEC National Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

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