ACN Condemns PDP for Suing Ajimobi

Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Oyo State Chapter this morning reacted to the suit filed at the Oyo State Governorship Election petition Tribunal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the victory of the Governor-elect, Senator Abiola Ajimobi in the 26 April govenrorship poll.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS on phone, the party secretary, Wasiu Olatubosun said that though the party could not react elaborately on the suit because it has not been officially served, the party is not bothered about it. Wasiu said that the beauty of the suit is that PDP did not claim that the election is not credible unlike the election that brought Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala to power, which was fraught with irregularities.

He said that Akala and PDP could not steal the people’s mandate as they did in 2007 stressing that from what he read in the paper their grouse is that Ajimobi has a dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States of America. “Can you see their thinking and desperation? Why did they wait so long to start raising the issue? Why did they not raise it during the electioneering period? Why are they trying to disturb the peace of the land? Why cannot they be good loser?

With this development, people now know the calibre of people in PDP. But one thing I am sure of, they will lose at the tribunal and I am saying it with all assurance and emphasis, Akala is dead politically?

Wasiu said that the party would not allow the development to affect it as the party is concentrating on how to serve its people creditably and ensure that they enjoy dividends of democracy. Last Tuesday PDP filed a suit against Ajimobi at the Governorship Electoral Tribunal averring Ajimobi did not qualify to contest the governorship election because he had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the United States of America, in contravention of Section 182 (1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

According to the section of the constitution, “No person shall be qualified for election to the office of governor of a state if; subject to the provision of sub-section 28 of this constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, he has made a declaration of allegiance to such other country.”

PDP joined ACN and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the suit. In the suit, PDP admitted that Ajimobi is a citizen of Nigeria by birth but not qualified to contest election because he had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of USA in April, 1999. The party is relying on the following documents during the hearing of the petition: documents from the American Embassy in Nigeria as to the citizenship status of Senator Ajimobi, documents from USA as to the citizenship status of the governor-elect, International passport of Ajimobi and Certificate of the citizenship of Ajimobi, In the petition, PDP wrote: “Senator Ajimobi, United States of America’s citizenship social security number is #:127-57-8533 and stated his date of birth as December 16, 1949 and residence as 745 Red Oak Lane, University Park IL60466-2964.”

PDP prayed the tribunal that it should determine that Ajimobi was unqualified to contest the governorship election in Oyo State having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of USA. The party also urged the tribunal to determine that its candidate, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, scored the majority of the lawful vote cast in the April 26, 2011 governorship election in Oyo State having scored 387,132 votes and ought to be returned as duly elected. Alternatively, the petitioner is praying for an order nullifying the governorship election conducted by INEC on April 26, 2011 and order a fresh election for the office of the governor of Oyo State.

—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan