Omonade is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Ughelli North constituency 1 in the forthcoming 2023 Delta State House of Assembly election.
The former senior special assistant to the deputy senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege on legal and constitutional matters, Matthew Onojighofia Omonade is currently said to be under fire for allegedly receiving salaries after his resignation to participate in the party's primaries.
Omonade is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Ughelli North constituency 1 in the forthcoming 2023 Delta State House of Assembly election.
Omonade participated in the APC primaries on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Ughelli, Ughelli Local Government Area of the state and emerged as the party’s candidate for Ughelli North constituency 1, in the forthcoming 2023 election.
It was gathered that the former aide to the deputy senate president on legal and constitutional matters, after his resignation received salaries for the months of April, May, and June 2022.
Copies of pay slips for Omonade with file number 50087, obtained by SaharaReporters, show that Omonade received a total sum of N220,138.92 each for the months of April, May and June 2022 through his Zenith Bank account, 2007200632 and after deductions, he was left with the sum of N195,888.92 in each of the three months.
Meanwhile, a petition addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, by a constituent of the Ughelli North constituency 1, Paul Esade Junior, drew the attention of the commission to what he called an infraction of the Electoral Act 2022 by the APC candidate.
The petition is titled "Petition Against The Candidature Of Mr. Matthew Onojighofia Omonade Of The All Progressives Congress (APC) For The Ughelli North Constituency 1 For The 2023 Delta State House Of Assembly Election."
The petition, obtained by SaharaReporters, noted that Omonade ought to have resigned his appointment to be eligible to contest for the party's primaries and be elected as a candidate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
"I bring to your notice an infraction of section 84(12) of the electoral act 2022, by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Ughelli North constituency 1, Delta State House of Assembly election Mr. Matthew Onojighofia Omonade to the attention of the commission. Permit me to reproduce the provision of Section 84 (12) of the electoral act, 2022; ‘No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election’.
"Mr. Matthew Onojighofia Omonade is the senior special assistant to the deputy senate president of the Nigerian Senate on legal and constitutional matters. By the provision of section 84 (12) reproduced above, Mr. Matthew Onojighofia Omonade ought to have resigned from his appointment before he can be eligible to contest for nomination as a candidate in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
“APC conducted their primaries for elective positions within Delta state on May 25, 2022, wherein Mr. Matthew Onojighofia Omonade emerged as the candidate of the APC for the Ughelli North constituency 1, Delta State House of Assembly in the 2023 general elections.
"As at May, 25, 2022 wherein the APC had their primaries in Delta State, Matthew Onojighofia Omonade was still a political appointee to the deputy senate president of the Nigerian Senate on legal and constitutional matters as can be seen from the payment of his salaries from April-June 2022. I am therefore urging the commission to exercise its powers as enshrined in section 84(13) which provides; ‘Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position. I am sure that the commission will exercise its powers in line with the electoral act, 2022 judiciously.’”
When contacted to respond to the allegations, Omonade said he did nothing illegal.
"I have heard about the issue, is it a crime.? Let’s even assume, without conceding that I have resigned and I was paid salaries, what's the criminality in it? I don't know what they are talking about. Let them prove it. Let them go to court."
