2023: Court sacks Ajulo-Opin as Kwara APC Reps candidate

An Ilorin Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday sacked the lawmaker representing Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero/Ekiti Federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Raheem Olawuyi Ajuloopin an All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate for 2023 general elections.

The court presided over by Justice I.M Sanni, instead declared Hon. Oluwasegun Cornelius Adebayo as the authentic APC candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Hon. Oluawsegun Cornelius Adebayo,son of the former governor of the state, Chief Cornelius Adebayo hails from Oke-onigbin in Isin local government area and had won APC Primary election conducted in May 2022 .

But Hon. Raheem Olawuyi, the incumbent member of the house representative instead participated in the senatorial primaries of Kwara South and emerged second while Senator Lola Ashiru the incumbent Senator defeated him to retain his seat.

Whereas before the Kwara South APC primary election was held , the House of Representatives primary election had been held and Hon. Adebayo had been declared as Isin/Oke-Ero/Ekiti/Irepodun APC House of Representatives candidate.

However, after the loss of Hon Olawuyi Ajuloopin at the senatorial primaries, the party held another fresh House of representatives primaries, which was boycotted by Hon. Adebayo and Ajulo Opin declared as the new candidate.

Dissatisfied with the steps taken by the leadership of the party, Adebayo took a legal action by instituting a lawsuit seeking to reclaim his candidacy.

Delivering ruling yesterday, Justice Sanni nullified the candidature of Hon. Ajuloopin and upheld the candidature of Hon. Oluwasegun Adebayo as the authentic APC candidate for the next year general elections.

He declared that the procedure Ajuloopin used in securing the party ticket is not known to law.

However, in a chat with journalists in Ilorin yesterday, Hon. Adebayo described his court victory as a ‘good news’, noting that it was a victory for all.

He urged APC members in the state to come together and jointly work for the victory of all candidates of the party in the 2023 general election.

Calling the APC in the state ‘one big family’, Adebayo added that ‘it is time for fence- mending and reconciliation’.

Adebayo however said, ‘All I can say is to thank God Almighty , who always keeps his word and stands in support of His people. It is a victory for all. I want to beg all party members to note that we are one big family.

“The next course of action is fence -mending and reconciliation, because we are one big family. We must ensure all our party’s candidates earn victory in the 2023 general election. I urge all our party members to please make this a priority”.
Ends.

(Vanguard News).