One of the senatorial aspirants of the All Progressives Congress in Osun East Senatorial District, Alhaji Sola Lawal, has petitioned the National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee of the party, asking the panel to reject the victory of the serving Senator Babajide Omoworare.
Lawal made this request in a letter written to the panel, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Thursday.
In the alternative, the aggrieved aspirant asked the party to declare him the winner of the primary or order that a fresh primary be held to determine the winner.
Lawal, who is the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ogun State, was said to have defeated Omowoare in the primary election held at the Government House, Osogbo, scoring 17 votes while Omoworare reportedly scored three.
According to Lawal, the same process for primary election, which produced Senator Sola Adeyeye in Osun Central and Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke in Osun West, produced him.
He said the upturning of his victory was an issue to be determined by the appeal panel.
The petition read, “The supposed announcement of Senator Omoworare on the December 9, 2014 at Freedom Park, Osogbo, be nullified.
“That I, Sola Lawal, should be declared as the candidate in the Osun East Senatorial District to run on the platform of APC in the 2015 general elections. Otherwise fresh constitutional primary should be held to determine who flies the flag of the party in Osun East.
“I make bold to say that I am the elected candidate of the above-written senatorial district on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“Modified primaries were held at the banquet hall of Government House on Wednesday the December 3, 2014 wherein I polled 17 votes; the incumbent, Senator Babajide Omoworare, three votes; Hon Kunle Adeniji, tw0 votes; Mrs Olusola Ibidapo-Obe, 0 vote; and Gbenga Awosode, 0 vote.
“I was then declared the winner by the chairman of the Electoral College, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji, who also doubles as the Deputy State Chairman, APC, State of Osun.”
But the media aide to Omoworare, Mr. Tunde Dairo, when contacted on Thursday said the petition was a distraction, adding that Omoworare was not aware of the petition.
He said, “If any step as such is taken by Mr Sola Lawal, it is simply a distraction. This is APC, not any other party, where 16 is greater than 19.
“We maintain our stand that the primary election of a gathering of about 20 people cannot be more valid that the gathering of more than 200 authentic and legitimate party structure, saddled with the responsibility of choosing candidates for the party.
“We are not prepared to join issues with anyone in the media on such illegitimate and unfounded claims.”