EKITI: PDP’s Olusola begs INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, Professor Kolapo Olusola, has cried out over alleged efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to frustrate his move to challenge his defeat at the election petitions tribunal.

He begged the electoral body to stop further frustration of his efforts to duly file a petition at the election petitions tribunal, saying that the damage INEC has already done to him was enough.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one time former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was declared winner of the July 14 election, which Olusola is challenging.

Olusola, who is currently the deputy governor of Ekiti, however is alleging that his applications to INEC for the certified true copies of election documents and a motion ex parte made to the tribunal were snubbed not minding the fact that he had fulfilled all necessary steps.

According to him, the actions of INEC and the tribunal are delay tactics to allow time to run against him in instituting the legal action within the 21 days stipulated by the electoral law.

He said, “We applied for certified true copies of election documents to assist in the preparation and presentation of my petition.

“The application was filed on July 16 to the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Abdulganiyu Raji, and upon approval of the application, we made payment on July 20. Till now, no document has been made available to us by INEC.

“We equally made an application for certified true copies of the document to the INEC chairman, Abuja, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on July 17, and upon approval, payment was made on July 18.”

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Regretting that no document had been made available to him even as he had severally visited INEC offices in Ekiti and Abuja, Olusola said, “I, therefore, make a passionate appeal to INEC not to frustrate me further as the damage it has done to me is enough. The action of INEC is showing that they are out to frustrate me so that time will completely run out against me in line with the expectation of their task masters.”

 

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