AC candidates flout chairman’s order

VICTOR OGUNJE, Ado Ekiti

Contrary to the directive of the chairman of the Action Congress(AC) in Ekiti State, Mr Jide Awe, that the party would not participate in the local government election slated for December 20, most of the candidates of the party are still busy pursuing their electioneering campaigns across the state.

Awe hinged the likelihood of the AC’s non-participation in the election on the shoddy way the Major Gen. Kayode Oni (rtd)- led State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) was constituted, making him to call for the proper composition of the electoral body before the AC could participate in the election.

Awe argued that as prescribed by law that no fewer than six people are supposed to be cleared at the State Assembly to constitute quorum before the SIEC could commence operation , against the five after they had were screened at the Assembly.

Daily Champion gathered that most of the candidates that emerged on the platform of the party were not happy with the directive, coming barely one month to the election , having committed so much resources to prosecute their campaigns, while most of them embarks on aggressive campaigns in their respective local governments in preparation for the December 20 election On Monday, November 10, the chairmanship candidate of the party in Ado Local Goverment, Mr Sunday Ibitoye campaigned round Ado Ekiti metropolis, selling his manifestoes to the people without the presence of most of the party’s Chieftains , which made some people to suspect a cold war Mr Paul,Abegunde and Chief Akin Fasae, AC Candidates in Gbonyin and Ikole Local Governments respectively are still pursuing their electioneering campaigns in their respective domains , as if the party never meant what the AC chairman had said Bur Abegunde in a chat with

Daily Champion at the weekend in Ijan Ekiti , his countryhome , denied ever flouting the directive of the party, saying what the party was requesting for was the proper composition of the SIEC, so that it could have 6 members of the SIEC to commence operation not that the party would pull out of the election

He said , the chairman was only being misunderstood by the widespread rumour that the party had ordered its candidates to withdraw from the race

The AC Chairman, who spoke to Daily Champion on phone , said the party had not ordered the candidates to stop campaingning, affirming that they still stand on the point that 5-member SIEC was not constitutional to conduct the election

He said his inability to attend the campaign staged by Ibitoye was not as a result of any cold war or apprehension , clarifying that he was busy that day attending to issues that bothered on the progress of the party.

According to Awe "I have not ordered any of our candidates to stop campaigning, what we are preparing for may not be the election of December 20.

The elction might not even take place, even in another three month. Last Friday, We were at Omuo Ekiti to campaign for one of our candidates. So , I dont know what these people meant that we had pull out of the election ‘’Even, the State Assembly had made it clear that only five people had been screened, which has not met the constitutional provision.

That We have stopped our candidatyes from campaigning for the election was the making of the PDP", Awe said Despite the request of the AC , Gen Oni in a chat with journalists recently said the date of the election would not be changed by the request of only one political party out of the 50 political parties in the country Oni said any candidate that fails to collect the nomination form before this week Friday have automatically disqualified himself from the race, urging all the candidates to adhere strictly to the directive to prevent any situation, whereby they would be making uncomplimentary comments about the commission