AA Faults INEC Over Partial Compliance With Court Ruling

The Action Alliance, AA, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to fully comply with a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Osogbo, Osun State, regarding the recognition of the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC.

The court had ordered INEC to acknowledge all NEC members elected during the party’s national convention held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 2023.

However, after a joint meeting of its National Think Tank Committee and NEC, the party accused INEC of only partially adhering to the ruling by failing to list its National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, on the commission’s official portal.

In a communiqué signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Olu Omotosho, the party dismissed INEC’s reference to a pending Supreme Court matter as irrelevant, stressing that the Osogbo court judgment was clear and unambiguous.

Omotosho stated that Kenneth Udeze ceased to be a member of the party in 2019 after being expelled over allegations of funds misappropriation, high-handedness and anti-party activities — an action he said was upheld by the Supreme Court.

“Our party has been experiencing this stalemate since 2019, the year Kenneth Udeze was suspended by his own executive for serious infractions,” he said.

Omotosho explained that Udeze failed to appear before the disciplinary committee, leading to his expulsion ratified by the party’s highest decision-making body and affirmed at the 2020 convention which produced the current leadership.

He alleged that Udeze had attempted to return through “questionable means,” losing more than 30 court cases in the process and being described in some rulings as a “meddlesome interloper.”

“If the Supreme Court has settled Udeze’s membership status and INEC is aware of this judgment, what excuse could the commission possibly have for waiting on an unrelated appeal?” he queried.

Omotosho argued that recognizing a non-member as party chairman would be illogical, saying, “It is common sense that a person who is not a citizen of Nigeria cannot run for President; similarly, a person who is not a member of a political party should not be recognized as the party’s National Chairman.”

The AA urged INEC to comply fully with the court’s directive and reflect Omoaje’s name as National Chairman.