Says court will determine authentic winners
THE Ondo State Patriotic Front (OSPF), on Monday, dismissed claims that aggrieved aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, seeking judicial determination of the authentic winners of the party’s disputed National Assembly primaries, were acting at the instance of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Speaking on behalf of the OSPF, the Coordinator of the group, Dr. Daniel Olaniyi, said that the aggrieved aspirants approached the court because they believed the primaries violated the APC Constitution, the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act.
Olaniyi maintained that the legal action instituted by the aspirants was a constitutional right and should not be interpreted as an act of disloyalty to the party.
According to him, democracy flourishes when disputes are resolved through lawful institutions, stressing that if the APC primaries were conducted transparently and fairly, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should welcome judicial scrutiny.
He argued that the Electoral Act requires political parties to submit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) only candidates who emerged from validly conducted primaries, while dissatisfied aspirants are legally entitled to seek redress in court.
“The courts exist to determine whether due process was followed. True unity cannot be built on injustice but on fairness, transparency and respect for the rule of law,” Olaniyi said.
He described attempts to link the court action to Aiyedatiwa as misleading, insisting that the litigation was centred on the integrity of the party’s primary election process rather than any individual.
He urged the APC NWC to cooperate fully with the judicial process, saying confidence in the party would only be strengthened if the issues surrounding the primaries were resolved transparently.
Olaniyi also warned against plans to impose candidates through backdoor arrangements, maintaining that only aspirants who genuinely emerged from valid primaries should be recognised by the party.
According to him, suppressing legitimate grievances could weaken the APC through internal divisions, voter apathy and possible defections, while allowing the courts to determine the issues would reinforce the party’s democratic credentials.
He said “The rule of law, not political convenience, must prevail. If the authentic winners truly emerged through lawful primaries, the evidence will speak for itself,” he stated.
