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March 11, 2023
The group added that it has inaugurated a committed headed by its secretary to officially convey its position to INEC.
Youths in Ekiti State, under the Ekiti North Youths Vanguard, have withdrawn their support from the House of Representatives member-elect for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, Davidson Kolawole Akinlayo, over the allegation of fraud tied to his name.
The group also asked Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to retrieve the Certificate of Return issued to him, adding that “Akinlayo is not fit to represent our constituency at the National Assembly"
This was contained in a statement made available to SaharaReporters by the leader of the group, Adelakun Omotayo.
"It is expected that all political parties involved in the election would have put their candidates through a series of integrity test and presented their best man. It is our own responsibility as ambassadors of the constituency to work with any candidate that won the election. But it is unfortunate that Mr. Akinlayo may not be the ambassador we hoped for,” Omotayo said.
"We have the moral responsibility to protect the name of our constituency at all times. This has a little to do with Mr. Akinlayo but it has all to do with the reputation of the good people of Ekiti North Federal Constituency II. We are a people known for integrity and honour. It is incorrect to let the ambition of an individual rub our people their enviable reputation.
"We therefore pass a vote of no confidence on Mr. Davidson Kolawole Akinlayo and ask INEC to retrieve his Certificate of Return.”
The group added that it has inaugurated a committed headed by its secretary to officially convey its position to INEC.
"This is the position we have reached after due consultation with the leaders of the constituency. An official letter to this effect is being sent to INEC and all the traditional rulers in Ekiti North Federal Constituency II would be duly copied as well," the statement read.
SaharaReporters had reported that Akinlayo was arrested by EFCC operatives hours after he was issued a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu had on Wednesday presented the certificates to the members-elect at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.
The lawmaker-elect was accused of swindling an oil magnate, Johnson Akinnawonu, who is also a director in JAAC Nig. Ltd. to the tune of N3billion.
SaharaReporters had in 2022 reported how Akinlayo, and his lawyer, one Rotimi Olorunfemi, the then chairman of the Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) allegedly defrauded a Port Harcourt-based oil magnate, Akinnawonu and JAAC Nig. Ltd to the tune of N3 billion on the pretext of helping him to acquire a property in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja but failed to deliver.
A petition dated March 15, 2022, addressed to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Johnson's lawyer, Barr. Adejumola Ajayi and obtained by SaharaReporters titled "Criminal Conversion and Obtaining of N1.9billion Under False Pretence” revealed that the fraudulent acts occurred between 2013 and 2015.
The petition read in part, "That sometime between 2013 and 2015 the duo of Messrs. Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole and Rotimi Olorunfemi (a purported estate Manager and his Solicitor) with their office address at Akure made representation to our clients to procure some real estate property for them at Abuja and Lagos.
“Property tagged Tantaliser building at Aminu Kano Crescent, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 11 Abuja.
“Property tagged multiple three (3) storey building of former Federal government guest houses covering about 10,000 Square metres of land at Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos.
“Property formerly occupied by NEPA at Kings Way Road Lagos on about 4000 square metres of land which sales obtained from our clients amounted to N1,860,000,000 (One billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Million Naira).
"That within same period Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole obtained an additional sum of N46,000,000 (Forty-Six Million Naira) from our clients to convert their Opebi residential building to commercial building and as well collected rent of N10,400,000 (Ten Million and Four Hundred Thousand Naira) rent from our client's tenants occupying their property at Plot 176 Herbert Macauley Road without performance and account."
It was also gathered that Akinnawonu, who doubles as a director in JAAC Nig. Ltd. is now in critical health condition and has been flown to Canada following the shock and trauma he had suffered.
Findings by SaharaReporters revealed that Olorunfemi has since confessed to the crime while the APC House of Reps member-elect through his lawyer had agreed in a letter addressed to Akinnawonu to refund the sum of N830,000,000 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Million Naira) before June 30, 2022.
But Akinlayo refused to honour the agreement and pay up.