Osun primary: Show evidence of victory, Lawal tells Omoworare osundefender.org/?p=201751 The aggrieved senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Osun East Senatorial Distract, Alhaji Sola Lawal, has challenged Senator Babajide Omoworare, who has been announced as the candidate of the party in the district to produce the evidence of his victory at the primary. Lawal said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday. The aspirant was reacting to the statement from Omoworare. urging him to accept his electoral loss with equanimity. Lawal, who is the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ogun State, maintained that he scored 17 votes out of 23 in a modified primary election, which was conducted at the Government House, Osogbo on December 3. He explained that the primary, which produced former Governor Isiaka Adeleke and Prof. Sola Adeyeye as the senatorial candidates of the APC in Osun West and Osun Central respectively was held at the same venue using the same method. He accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of upturning his victory because of the governor’s alleged bias for the serving Senator. Lawal said he held the popular mandate of the party to contest the forthcoming election, describing Omoworare’s claim of victory as “patently fraudulent.” The aspirant urged the federal lawmaker to state where, when and who voted in the primary that allegedly produced him as the candidate of the party. Lawal said, “As for me, the modified primary, sanctioned by the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the party, took place at the Banquet Hall of the Government House on Wednesday, Dec 3. “A total of 23 leaders of the party listened to five of us, including Omoworare delivered speeches, followed by a polling exercise in which I scored 17; Omoworare, three; Kunle Adeniji, two; Mrs Olusola Ibidapo-Obe, zero; Barrister Gbenga Awosode, zero; and one abstention. “Among the cream of delegates, who voted to elect me, were Chief Bisi Akande’s deputy, Sooko Adeleke Adewoyin; Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, foremost FIFA- rated coach; Chief Sola Ogunsanya, regent of Iloko-Ijesha; Alhaji Muraina Iyiola, retired permanent secretary; Kunle Oyatomi, Osun APC Publicity Director, among others. “Congratulatory messages have started pouring in for me, including the one I most cherished from Chief Bisi Akande. On the night of December 3, the process was stalled through subterfuge, bringing everyone to this sorry pass.” The Ogun APC spokesman added, “Rather than claim victory in a primary election that he lost woefully, Omoworare should toe the path of honour and concede defeat. Such statesmanship is a virtue which members of our great party is known and respected for.” However, the APC has said Omoworare remains the candidate of the party for Osun East Senatorial District. This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Famoodun, and made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday by the Director of Publicity of the party, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi. The statement read, “Omoworare, the incumbent Senator, won the party primary elections both at consensus primary and general affirmation held on December 9, 2014 at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo. “We are exploring this medium to correct the misrepresentation and wrong impression registered by an aspirant, claiming to have won the primary. “On December 3, 2014, in line with the guideline and timetable set for primary elections of the party, screening exercises were held to scrutinise credentials of aspirants, with a view to determining their capacity and correctness of their records to fly the party’s flag. “On the said date and at the screening committee stage, there was no primary election. The process and stages that threw up candidates for various offices on APC platform in the state were uniform and there was no ambiguity as to how they emerged. “The Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, did not at any level interfere with the process, not to talk of imposing any candidate as being misrepresented from certain quarters. The stage being referred to by the said aspirant is just a screening exercise and not sufficient as stipulated in the party constitution to serve the purpose of a properly defined primary, which was finalised on December 9, 2014, at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo. “From the result of the exercise conducted for Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Babajide Omoworare won at all levels and has been issued necessary documents to proceed as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Osun East Senatorial District. “We implore anyone spreading falsehood and disparaging the party, our candidate and the governor to desist from such diversionary exercise.”
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 12:48:17 +0000
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