Kogi APC primary: why I rejected the outcome of primary, appealed to Supreme Court by Adeyemi

Political parties that are running for governor of Kogi State on November 11 are stepping up their campaigns. However, divisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remain unresolved.

Senator Smart Adeyemi, a contender, is arguing against the results of the primary that resulted in Usman Ododo being chosen as the nominee.

Ododo’s victory was upheld by the Appeal Court. Adeyemi has appealed to the Supreme Court, but he is not happy.

His grievance is that, following the primary, the results of only 11 of Kogi’s 239 wards were made public.

The electoral legislation, which stated that the shadow poll should be based on “ward by ward” and not local government, was broken, in his opinion, by that method.

Adeyemi considers the supreme court’s decision to be definitive and a case law.

Furthermore, he stated that the primary need to be interpreted in light of the belief that Mohammed Bello Matawale, the chairman of the Kogi State Primary Election, left the state before to the primary and that his actions were against APC policy.

The APC considers the primary to be both won and lost. Adeyemi, however, disagreed, stating that the court must make the ultimate decision.

Knowing my experience can help you understand why I approach everything I do with a tenacious sense of purpose, the man stated. It was my good fortune to be a senator at the time of the Electoral Act 2022 amendment.

“The legislature is the cornerstone of democracy. The National Assembly is what democracy is all about. It sets the military government apart from the federal government. It is democracy’s vital organ.

“It is important to interpret the laws that were created by that organization in the manner that they were intended. It’s also not necessary to be a lawyer to recognize whether you are at fault or guilty. The boldness of it is that I was among those who wrote the legislation.

Former Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Adeyemi stated he made the decision to file an appeal with the Supreme Court in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the legislation in a court that can provide justice.

“Direct primary should be conducted ward by ward,” he stated, citing the 2022 Election Act. The first provision is that. Not headquarters of the local government. The population of my ward, which also serves as the local government and ward headquarters, is roughly 2,000.

The candidate stated that he had remained true to his decision to take the case to its rational conclusion, free of emotion.

“The panel’s chairman departed at the time they were supposed to hold the election,” Adeyemi continued. There are 239 wards in Kogi State. Out of 239 wards, 11 wards’ worth of results are in front of their lordships.

Because the Supreme Court is a court of justice as well as law, I went there. The outcome is conclusive if the Supreme Court rules that the findings from 11 wards are better than those from 239 wards. There is nothing you can put on nothing. Lord Denning had long since resolved it.

A judge declared that the election system constituted a pyramid. You have to lay the foundation first. The presidential tribunal that heard the PDP and LP’s complaints of malpractices found that the parties had only presented 11 wards from Koto Kalfe and had not produced any results to support their claims.

Politicians, in Adeyemi’s opinion, ought to become adept at following the rules. Nigerians are devoid of conscience. Conscience is a part of your religion. Regretfully, individuals in Nigeria tend to disregard religion when committing atrocities or trying to pilfer money. They steal money by conspiring. They are blind to justice,” he raged.

Adeyemi stated, “We are talking about 239 results,” in rejection of the lower court’s decision. They displayed the eleventh ward’s results. How on earth is that going to hold up in the real justice test? Elections for municipal government are not the topic of discussion. This election is state-level. Additionally, you brought 11 wards out of 239 to court.

“The Supreme Court is in front of us right now, and every decision it makes becomes case law. A new law, or case law, has been established if the Supreme Court upholds the prior ruling.

It is untrue that I won’t have support from the party and government if I win. When you work in government, people support you regardless of how well you do.

Prior to the primaries, Governor Yahaya Bello, the leader of the state party, and Adeyemi recognized their closeness. Give and take, he said, was how the relationship worked. He admitted that he managed his campaign for reelection even though he enjoyed the gesture when he wished to rejoin the Senate.

The Director General of his reelection campaign was me. He emphasized that Yahaya Bello won because Kogi West and Kogi Central cast a majority vote in favor of her.

Adeyemi has been called a poor loser by Ododo supporters. He objected to the classification, claiming that he was entitled to a legal appeal to the outcome as an educated person.

Is the senator’s legal action against the platform not also acting against the party’s interests?

“I am still in APC,” Adeyemi declared. Have you observed me disparaging my administration or party? The government in place is democratic. Our system is not military-based. We are entitled to pursue justice.

“Remaining silent when someone puts sand in your mouth is not democracy. Overcoming what others are unable to accomplish is what defines a leader.

According to Martin Luther King Jr., a man’s character is best assessed during difficult and contentious times rather than when things are easy and convenient. That is the essence of a man.

Additionally, Adeyemi thinks President Bola Tinubu of the National Party is aware of his viewpoint on the subject.

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“The president will not ask me to stop defending my rights or from appearing in court.That’s not what he’ll do. The president is far too busy to take part in every one of these. There is a party. “The party chairman is aware of all these details,” he remarked.

Adeyemi declared his support for zoning and power shift, citing the marginalization of his home area, Kogi West.

He said, “This is not an issue that is personal. There hasn’t been a governor from Kogi West in the previous 32 years. In Northern Nigeria, we are not illiterate; rather, we are among the most educated people. I’m defending my people’s rights. The Ebira people have produced two governors.