Ekiti2022: PDP Ex-Publicist, Jackson Adebayo, Schooled Fayose's aide, Lere Olayinka on INEC Supremacy on Party's Congresses.

Ekiti2022: PDP Ex-Publicist, Jackson Adebayo, Schooled Fayose's aide, Lere Olayinka on INEC Supremacy on Party's Congresses.

Published by Ojaomonews

James Oja, Ado-Ekiti

July 9th, 2021

It's no longer a news that the Peoples' Democratic Party in Ekiti state seize to Operate as a family since March 7th, 2020 when Chief Ayodele Fayose and Sen. Biodun Olujimi groups conducted separate ward congresses.

The two groups had been operating a parallel structure having Hon. Kehinde Odebunmi and Hon. Bisi Kolawole as chairmen respectively.

But it was a big blow for the party on June 23rd, 2021 when the electoral umpire published a report on the flaws of the party congresses.

"Ekiti 2022: Panic In PDP As INEC Uncovers Flaws In

There is tension in the Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has uncovered flaws in the processes leading up to the state congresses organised by the Party last year.

The supremacy battle between former Governor Ayo Fayose and Senator Abiodun Olujimi over who controls the soul of the party had led to its polarisation.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Dr Adeniran Tella, made the commission’s position on the controversial congresses known via a letter dated June 23, 2021 ref number INEC/EK/S/EPM/VI/56/1107 titled, ‘Re: PDP ward delegates and ad-hoc local government and state congresses held 7th March, 26th August and 29th August 2020: Request for the Certified True Copy of the report of INEC Monitoring Team in line with the constitutional provision’.

The electoral body in the letter clarified that it only monitored one of the parallel ward congresses but did not monitor the local government and state congresses which produced the party officials at the three levels.

“However, the congresses (ward) were monitored in the morning by our officials as scheduled, but later in the evening of the same day, some PDP officials came up with another format, but our officials could not monitor the conduct though results were later turned in too thus making it a parallel congress.

“Sequel to your request in respect of the Local Government and State Congresses, you are hereby referred to a letter earlier written in respect of same dated 29th September 2020 with reference no. INEC/S/LOG/8/56/1042 confirming that the Commission in the State did not monitor the two congresses due to the parallel congresses conducted by factions of the party and the subsequent litigation arising thereof,” the letter reads in part

A source within the leadership of the party said the situation required the urgent intervention of the PDP National Working Committee led by Prince Uche Secondus “to avert labouring in vain only for the All Progressives Congress to reap the fruits in the forthcoming governorship election”.

Meanwhile, a source said Urges “The NWC must take immediate action to reconcile the two groups in the Ekiti PDP crisis so that INEC can withdraw that report.

“It shows clearly that Section 83 of the Electoral Law which mandates INEC to supervise and monitor all political parties’ activities including finance, congresses and conferences has been violated.

“To withdraw the INEC report, PDP NWC should explore one of two options; one is for the NWC to order for fresh congresses in Ekiti State from ward to state level.

In a statement credited to Mr Lere Olayinka, the Director of media of the preferred aspirants of Chief Ayodele Fayose, has dismissed media report that there was tension in the party in the State over claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) purportedly uncovered flaws in the processes leading to the party's 2020 congresses.

Ekiti PDP Chieftain Dismisses Report Of Flaws In 2020 congresses, Says "It's not mandatory for INEC to monitor party congresses"

Olayinka, who described the report as handiwork of those hoping to get what they could not get through the congresses and their court cases, by peddling rumour and falsehoods, pointed out that "there is no law in Nigeria that made it mandatory for INEC to monitor congress of a political party.

"Section 85 of the Electoral Act only requires a political party to notify INEC of its Congress The law provided that INEC may monitor, not that INEC shall or must monitor."

His reaction on Thursday reads; "My attention has been drawn to a publication, ostensibly sponsored by some idle hands, relating to INEC and Ekiti State PDP congresses. Obviously, these people are yet to come to terms with the reality of being beaten in the political game they thought they had in their bags.

"Fact is that the only letter they 'procured' from INEC in Ekiti State was dated September 29, 2020. The letter was tested in Court in Suit No: HAD/83/2020, on which the court in its judgment delivered on March 8, 2021, held among others as follows:

"The case before me is being determined on the affidavit evidence. I find as established that the 1st Defendant (PDP) appointed only one Congress Committee led by Engineer (Hon) Kola Balogun to conduct and did conduct Local Government Area Congress and State Congress of the 1st Defendant on 26th and 29th of August, 2020, the conclusion of which the 2nd Defendant, Hon Bisi Kolawole, emerged as the Chairman of the Ekiti State Chapter of the 1st Defendant, I so hold.

"In view of the unequivocal admission of the claimants that a State Congress Electoral Committee was appointed to conduct the State Congress of the Ekiti State Chapter of the 1st defendant, coupled with their failure to participate in the said Congress, the allegation of absence of the INEC officials has become an academic issue. The claimants suit having no leg to stand in the first place."

Speaking further, Olayinka said "It is on record that those who were aggrieved over the conduct of the congresses duly exercised their rights to seek redress in accordance with the constitution of the PDP. Their appeals at the relevant PDP Congress Appeal Panels failed.

"They went ahead to take the party to courts and their cases were dismissed by the lower courts and court of appeal. What else do they still want?

"Most importantly, serious governorship aspirants in the State are reaching out to the products of these congresses that those seeking to gain control of the party through the backdoor are still complaining about."

In a response to the statement credited to Mr Lere Olayinka by a senior journalist, the immediate past publicity secretary of the party in Ekiti state, Mr Jackson Adebayo.

Mr Jackson quoted the verbatim delegation of electoral umpire to clarify the doubts of Mr Lere olayinka and those who may believe in his statement.

Re-Ekiti PDP Chieftain Dismisses Report Of Flaws In 2020 congresses, Says "It's not mandatory for INEC to monitor party congresses"

Let me first of all declare that am not a lawyer but a senior journalist that use to research and read well before coming out with analytical reports having practice for years on different beats, especially politics and judiciary before my political sojourn.

Now I found it very funny when I read active and reactionary reports where-in facts are concealed to blindfold the public to distract them from the consequences of manipulation in the conduct of party Congresses and primaries as it's been done in the subject matter.

The first ambiguous impression being created by the writer/reactionist was that the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) only role in the conduct of political party's Congresses/primaries is just to be notified and that the Electoral Act 2010 as amended doesn't necessarily confer on the organization to monitor; this sounds like the lawyer that gave the writer /reactionist this piece is warming up to cash well from his client in the day of reckony hence he only limited the writer reactionist knowledge to the Electoral Act and deliberately kept away the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the supreme from his client.

I will not bore you with rhetorics here, rather this is what the constitution says about the functions of the INEC in the appropriate sections as stated _inta alia:_

"The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was established by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to among other things organize elections into various political offices in the country.

The functions of INEC as contained in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended) include the following:

Organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation;

*_Monitor the organization and operation of the political parties, including their finances; conventions, congresses and party primaries* ._

Arrange for the annual examination and auditing of the funds and accounts of political parties, and publish a report on such examination and audit for public information;

Arrange and conduct the registration of persons qualified to vote and prepare, maintain and revise the register of voters for the purpose of any election under this constitution;

Monitor political campaigns and provide rules and regulations which shall govern the political parties;

Conduct voter and civic education;

Promote knowledge of sound democratic election processes; and

Conduct any referendum required to be conducted pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution or any other law or Act of the National Assembly.............."

Without being judgemental , one can see where the deciet and illiteracy lies from the above provision.

It will be a thing of interest to many loyal PDP members if the writer reactionist could explain the process that made the late Sen Buruji Kasamu the Governorship candidate of our party at the time the National Working Committee nominated Hon Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State for 2019 election despite money, influence and power from the Wadata Plaza. Yes he would say Kasamu was a product of Court; though the narrative may be long but we'll love to hear little.

Paradventure, he can also furnish us with how Court dealt with us in Ondo State in 2015 Governorship election or how manipulations at Congresses cost the Zamfara/Rivers APC it's fortunes at the Supreme Court in 2019/20.

Finally let the writer reactionist read the constitution of Nigeria first before taking his piece from that smart legal luminary. God bless the PDP.