INEC recognition of Omoaje as Action Alliance chairman in order, party declares

From Femi Oyelola

The Action Alliance (AA) has declared that the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Hon Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the national chairman of the party by putting his name on the commission’s website was in order.

The party in a statement issued on Monday by its national publicity secretary, Mr Olu Omotoso chastised Kenneth Udeze for interfering into the party’s affairs and warned him to desist from issues that affect the party, just as it called on Nigerians to disregard Udeze and his outbursts.

The statement reads “The attention of the leadership of our great party, the Action Alliance (AA) has been drawn to a statement issued by one Mr Kenneth Udeze, an expelled member of the party where he erroneously claims that the name of Dr Adekunle Rufai Omoaje was put on the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by some staff of the commission without necessary approval.

“We want to strongly condemn the statement credited to Udeze and state unequivocally that Udeze lacks the right to comment on any issue that affects the party as he is not a member of the party and neither does he hold any stake in the party.

“For record purposes, it’s pertinent to state for the umpteenth time that Udeze had long been suspended from the party and was consequently expelled from the party by the National Think Thank Committee, which is the highest ruling organ of the party.

“To allege that the name of Hon (Dr) Adekunle Rufai Omoaje was inputted by some staff of the commission was proof of the stuff Udeze was made of as he is known for forgery, impersonation, and other dubious acts.

“For us in the Action Alliance, we have always toed the path of truth, justice, and peace. This, we have consistently done in the past few months when the Independent National Electoral Commission changed wrongly put the name of Udeze on the INEC website as against the party’s wish and orders of the court.

“Let us bring it on notice again that some courts of competent jurisdictions including the Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Federal High Court, Abuja, and Abuja division of the Court of Appeal in separate judgments declared Hon Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the authentic national chairman of the Action Alliance and ordered INEC to recognize Omoaje.

“The courts in their judgments also ordered INEC to input the name of Omoaje on its website and accord him (Omoaje) the necessary recognition of the party’s national chairman.

“We waited so long till justice was done and till  INEC also respected and honor the court judgment by inputting the name of Omoaje on its website. This was done following the orders of the court.

“To this end, we wish to state unequivocally that Kenneth Udeze is an impostor who is not known to our party, the Action Alliance.

“Also, it’s important to state clearly that INEC acted following court judgment and its actions are in order. Inserting the name of Hon Adekunle Rufai Omoaje on the INEC website was in order and it’s pleasing to the generality of our members in the Action Alliance. INEC did not act wrongly and its actions are welcome by the party, he added.