By Oluwakemi Kindness
A member of the House of Representatives, Kolawole Akinlayo, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to disqualify the declared winner of the Ekiti North Federal Constituency II primary, alleging he was constitutionally ineligible to contest.
Akinlayo, who represents Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency, said the party should enforce Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 by nullifying the victory of Kunle Ibrahim, whom he alleged remained a political appointee during the May 16 primary election.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the lawmaker argued that Ibrahim’s participation violated the Electoral Act because he was allegedly serving as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and continued to receive salary after the primary.
“The purported winner is not qualified to participate in the primary election by virtue of Section 88(1), and his participation, in the eyes of the law, is a nullity ab initio,” Akinlayo said.
He urged the APC leadership and its National Assembly Appeal Committee to uphold the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution, warning that ignoring the law could undermine confidence in the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akinlayo also alleged that the primary election was marred by irregularities, including the absence of voter accreditation in some wards, vote inflation, voter suppression and disruption of voting in areas where his supporters had strong backing.
He further claimed that party and local government officials with vested interests in the contest served as returning officers, compromising the credibility of the exercise.
The lawmaker asked the APC to either disqualify Ibrahim and declare him the valid winner, having finished second in the primary, or cancel results from the affected wards and conduct a fresh primary involving only qualified aspirants.
Akinlayo cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Tukur v. Mustapha (2023), which held that political appointees must resign their appointments before participating in party primaries as aspirants or delegates.
The APC is expected to conclude its internal dispute resolution process before submitting the names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
