A lawyer and human rights activist, Ayo Ademiluyi told SaharaReporters that he is the authentic winner of the party’s ticket won during the primary election that was held in the constituency on May 27, 2022.
The Labour Party’s National Stakeholders have been accused of auctioning and selling Eti-Osa Federal Constituency Ticket to the highest bidder, Mr Thaddeus Attah.
A lawyer and human rights activist, Ayo Ademiluyi told SaharaReporters that he is the authentic winner of the party’s ticket won during the primary election that was held in the constituency on May 27, 2022.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) earlier declared Mr Attah of the Labour Party as the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat winner in the House of Representatives.
Prof Funmilayo Odukoya, who is the INEC Returning Officer, made the declaration on Monday.
Attah won with 24,075 votes, beating his counterparts, Mr Olubankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 18,666 votes, and Mr Babjide Obanikoro of the APC, who polled 16, 901 votes.
However, while speaking to SaharaReporters, Ayo Ademiluyi said, “I emerged as the bonafide candidate of the Labour Party through the primaries conducted on May 27, 2022, which is the period afforded under the Electoral Act, 2022.
“However, as soon as the National Convention of June 1st, 2023 came with the emergence of Peter Obi, a flood of new entrants entered the party.
“The Labour Party national leadership refused to forward my name as they wanted to sell the ticket to the highest bidder.
“The Labour Party national leadership refused to forward my name to INEC. But how it worked out was that they went ahead to organise a false "substitution" primary in which Attah, the false claimant to the mandate emerged.
“They forwarded his name to INEC but they refused to publish it.
“They now went ahead to Federal High Court, Abuja. They lost. They went ahead to the Court of Appeal, Abuja. The Court of Appeal gave them a favourable judgment.
“We were not aware. We were at the Federal High Court, asking for an order for INEC to publish our name. On the day of judgment before Justice Aneke, we met another set of elements to which Attah belonged. When we got wind of the Court of Appeal judgment, we appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court struck out our case.
“This is why INEC complied with the Court of Appeal judgment. However, some other guys in Attah's camp went to the Supreme Court again. They filed two appeals. They have now unwittingly given us the platform to raise our issues.?
“We will be filing what we lawyers call Cross-Appeal at the Supreme Court this week to ask the Supreme Court to order INEC to withdraw his Certificate of Return and hand it over to me,” he added.
Likewise, a group from the constituency, Eti-Osa People's Movement released a statement on Monday describing Ademiluyi as the authentic winner of the legislative election which was held in the constituency on Saturday.
The statement reads: “We, the Eti-Osa People's Movement heartily congratulate AYODELE ADEMILUYI, the Bonafide candidate of Labour Party on his victory as winner in Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
“The Labour Party polled 24,075 to beat Olubankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 18,666 votes, and Babajide Obanikoro of the APC, who had 16, 901 votes.
“Ayodele Ademiluyi, a leading #EndSARS activist, is the bonafide candidate that emerged from the 27th May, 2023 Primaries conducted by the Labour Party within the period prescribed by the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Ayodele Ademiluyi, a legal practitioner was a Co-Counsel to the #EndSARS Protesters during the Lagos State Panel of Inquiry into SARS-Related Abuses and the Investigation into the Lekki Massacre.
“During his campaign, he has promised to utilise his seat as Member of House of Representatives to reopen the struggle for justice for the victims of #LekkiMassacre.
“He has equally pledged to reopen the struggle for countless communities in Eti-Osa Federal Constituency which were dislodged by illegal demolitions.”