Group Protests Replacement Of Candidate’s Name On INEC’s List

Jamiu Yisa

Concerned citizens of Amuwo Odofin Constituency 02 and Ward Exco members, Oriade Local Council Development Area, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, has protested the replacement of Rauf Olawale Sulaiman’s name on the list of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Sulaiman won the All Progressives Congress, APC, party primaries to represent Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 02 in the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2015.

He polled 95 votes to defeat Mrs Yemi Rasak who polled 80 votes and the incumbent, Ramota Akinola Hassan who scored 56 votes.

His name was said to have been alleged replaced with Hassan’s name on INEC’s list in Abuja.

On Friday the group stormed the Acme Road office of the party with a protest letter, signed by his Campaign Manager, Tajudeen Busari, to seek a reversal of the injustice meted out to their candidate.

The APC state chairman, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale was not around to receive the letter but it was dropped with the receptionist, Mrs Jumoke Mustapha.

The group in its letter dated 7 January, 2015, stated that on 2 December, 2014, the APC House of Assembly election was conducted in a free and fair atmosphere between Sulaiman, Rasak and Hassan.

It stated that 231 voters were accredited with no voided votes.

According to Busari in the letter, the electoral committee chairman, Ayilara Abiodun declared Sulaiman the winner of the primary, having polled the highest number votes and certified true copy of the result given to him in the presence of security agents and INEC representatives.

“Immediately after the election, the state executive of our great party invited the entire winners to a meeting where Sulaiman was given the INEC nomination form. He filled and submitted it to the state party secretariat.

“However, to our utmost surprise, INEC published Ramota Akinola as APC’s candidate in replacement of Rauf Sulaiman. Sir, we noticed that some unknown elements have conspired with INEC to break the peaceful co-existence in our constituency.

“The campaign group of Rauf Sulaiman and the entire delegates and members of our dear party who chose him are here today to bring to the notice of Chief Henry Ajomale, the unjust act that is capable of destroying the peaceful co-existence in Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 02.

“We still and will continue to believe in our party leaders at all level as we know they will not be party to this unlawful act. Sir, we seek your indulgence to help from your office to correct this terrible error,” he stated.