The nagging question on the lips of the people of Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State is who actually between Alhaji Ali Adelani Ajibode and Hon. Isiaq Abiodun Akinlade of the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP, has the political legitimacy to represent them at the National Assembly. Alhaji Ajibode actually contested the 2007 Federal House of Representatives election on the platform of the PDP along with other contestants from the opposition parties. He won massively with 52,310 of the total votes cast. He was followed by the ANPP candidate, Michael Adebayo Adeleke, who scored a total of 12,175 votes.
Investigation has revealed that Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade, who neither contested nor took part in the election process is today enjoying the mandate of the people at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Alhaji Ajibode, along with Hon. Akinlade and other three members had earlier contested the party primaries for the House of Representatives election conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party for Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in Ogun State on 25th November, 2006. Alhaji Ajibode emerged winner at the election, scoring a total of 497 votes (53%) as against Hon. Akinlade with 328 votes (35%). All other contestants shared the remaining 12%.
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However In a very curious and fraudulent manner, Hon. Akinlade embarked on a desperate mission of retaining his seat at the National Assembly. Immediately after the primaries, with monetary inducement, he was able to fraudulently collect the party’s nomination form meant for Alhaji Ajibode, the winner, as the candidate of the party in the election, filled and submitted it to INEC.
This clear case of day light robbery came as a rude shock to the party’s leadership both at the state and the national levels. The party, at the discovery of this illegality promptly forwarded the name of Alhaji Ajibode to INEC through a letter of substitution dated February 5, 2007, jointly signed by the then National Chairman Senator Ahmadu Ali and then National Secretary of the party, Chief Ojo Madueke. The essence of this letter was to reaffirm the candidacy of Alhaji Ajibode as the party’s flag bearer in the election. His name was therefore updated on the INEC records and posted on the INEC website as the winner and candidate of the PDP.
Alhaji Ajibode then vigorously embarked on electioneering campaign to secure success during the election. He won the election with a total votes cast, scoring 52,310 and was declared winner and returned elected by the Returning Officer of Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State, Mr. Sylvester Omoare who issued him FORM EC.8E(ii) on 21st April, 2007.
Hon. Akinlade’s desperation to snatch the mandate at all cost, despite the fact that he had lost at the primary secretly instituted an action before the Federal High Court, Abuja, armed with the party’s nomination form which he had earlier illegally and fraudulently intercepted to get the courts to grant him as a candidate of the party. The party’s leadership however, in its reaction to this ugly development, summoned Hon. Akinlade and prevailed on him to withdraw the suit and allow the party’s candidate to contest the election failing which he would be disciplined, to which he agreed.
Hon. Akinlade, however, against all expectation, and despite party directives, secretly went on with the court case and obtained judgment to be declared as the candidate of PDP in what could be referred to as a travesty of justice. The infamous judgement was delivered by the presiding judge, Abimbola Osarugue Ogie, in very controversial circumstances. The results and details of the secret judgment were not known to anybody until Hon. Akinlade submitted to INEC after Alhaji Ajibode had contested and declared the winner of the election.
Appalled by the High Court judgement, Alhaji Ajibode, through his counsel, filed an appeal suit against the infamous judgment at Courts of Appeal, Abuja. The case was yet to be decided by the court and against all democratic norms; Hon. Akinlade was declared the winner of the election which he did not contest through a press release issued by the Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner on the 15th May, 2007.
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The questions are if the courts were to get involved in an election, it is apparent that since the Incumbent Abiodun Akinlade was not on the ballot, the next best thing was to conduct another election and that clearly didn’t happen. There is no legitimate case that can be made by the incumbent Abiodun Akinlade on how he is serving in a position he didn’t contest. He definitely used the incumbency factor and corruption to usurp the peoples’ vote.
It should be noted that the illegitimate Representative, Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade, is now the Chairman of the Science & Technology Committee in the House of Representatives – appointed by the Speaker Dimeji Bankole. This is yet another black eye in politics, as it is being practiced in Ogun State.
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