The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday dismissed as day dreaming suggestions by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the ruling party had no validly nominated candidates for the 2023 presidential, governorship and national/state assembly elections.
National Publicity Secretary of the opposition party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, had claimed during a press conference to herald the take-off of the PDP presidential campaign on Monday that the APC “has no legally valid candidate for the 2023 general elections.”
He hinged his statement on the September 30, 2022 judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja that nullified the candidature of Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the July election on the grounds that his nomination was invalid, having been conducted and submitted by Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, in violation of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“For emphasis, Section 183 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that a state governor “shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever,” Ologunagba had said.
But reacting to the PDP position last night, the Deputy Director (Legal) of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Babatunde Ogala (SAN), said the opposition party’s argument had no basis whatsoever.
He challenged the PDP to file actions not only against the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, but also against all APC candidates for the governorship, National Assembly and Houses of Assembly candidates, if the party indeed meant what it said.
Spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), branded the PDP claim as pure hallucination.
Ogala said the PDP would meet its Waterloo in court just as it would be roundly defeated at the polls.
He said the court judgment cited by the PDP had already been appealed by Governor Oyetola and wondered why the party (PDP) would not wait for the decision of the Appeal Court on the matter.
He said Oyetola’s ground of appeal is that the judgment is a violent repudiation of the Supreme Court ruling on Eyitayo Jegede versus Akeredolu case when the apex court held that since Akeredolu was validly nominated by the APC, the issue of who sent his name to INEC was immaterial.
The APC chief said in law, each case is decided on its merit and could not understand how the PDP in its infantile imagination would now, on the basis of the Jegede case that it lost, be making wild claims.
Also reacting to the PDP claim, Mr. Keyamo said the PDP was merely “looking for the shortest route to the Villa and they know the route is not available.”
He added: “So they are looking for cheap and easy victory. They cannot have it.
“Let me assure them that they will not get such. We will meet on the field. Nobody is going to return them unopposed, because that is what they are looking for.
“The judgment was only in respect of our Osun State governorship candidate in the last election and the judgment is on appeal. I am very confident it will be upturned at the appeal. I am very confident.
“Even at that, the judgment only relates to our governorship nomination for Osun State governorship.
“There is no way that judgment made any pronouncements on the entire nominations by the APC for the 2023 general elections. It does not relate to it at all.”
Asked if all APC candidates from the Presidential to State House of Assembly were validly elected, Keyamo insisted that “anybody who is thinking to the contrary that all our candidates for next year’s elections were not validly elected, such a person should have his or her head examined.
“We went through legal and constitutional congresses and primaries. We went through a thorough process and the whole world saw it.
“The judgment cited by the PDP does not in any way invalidate any other thing in APC. But for now, the Osun State governorship candidate and I are confident it will be upturned at appeal.”
The APC and PDP are scheduled to go full blast with their presidential campaigns tomorrow ahead of the 2023 elections, even with the PDP still struggling to shake off the Ayu-Must-Go push led by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
Wike, who had promised to let the party hierarchy know his stand following the last reconciliatory meeting with the PDP flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was yet to do so at press time last night.
The highlights for tomorrow will be the inauguration of the APC Women Campaign team in Abuja and the flag-off of the PDP presidential campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Labour Party (LP) has commissioned a website for the campaign, soliciting of donation from well-wishers.
But the donation aspect has not gone down well with some Nigerians who criticised the party’s presidential candidate, Mr.Peter Obi of hypocrisy.
One of the pro Tinubu groups, the Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA 23), yesterday got its own campaign for the APC candidate off the ground with a rally in Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency, Osun State.
Following on its heels today is a road walk in Lagos coordinated by the Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
The Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team was constituted penultimate week with the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, as chairperson.
Also on board are Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the APC presidential candidate, and Hajiya Nana Shettima, spouse of the party’s presidential running mate.
Addressing the Osun rally yesterday, leader of SWAGA 23 Senator Dayo Adeyeye described Tinubu as “the hope for a new and better Nigeria;a new nation, a nation in which all of the problem we currently experience will disappear by the grace of Almighty God. He’s highly experienced, he has the capacity, ability, intelligence, wherewithal, formation and all that will make things work for Nigeria.”
Also speaking, another SWAGA official Oyetunde Ojo said the group was strategising on delivering 15 million votes for Tinubu across the South West alone.
Adeyeye, Minister of State for Works in the Jonahan Administration, “
Six traditional rulers in the constituency led by the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba AbdulRaheed Olabomi used the opportunity to pray fervently for Tinubu’s victory.
The Alaagba of Aagba, Oba Rufus Ogunwole admonished that Yoruba must unite to ensure victory for Tinubu because of his capacity to turn around the fortunes of country.
