Barely 24 hours to publish the names of candidates for the November 6 Anambra governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Action Alliance (AA) has alleged last-minute plot by external forces to exclude Chief John Ikeotuonye as its candidate for the election, Njenje Media News reports.
The party said the external forces allegedly working with some INEC officers are said to have perfected plot to adopt Ifeoma D. Maduka
as AA candidate for the election with the sole plot of substituting her with one of the PDP governorship aspirants who lost out in the last primary to run under A A.
National Secretary of the party, Vernimbe James in a statement said however the party leadership may head to court any moment to challenge the exclusion of chief Ikeotuonye, which the party decribed as another rape on our democracy .
Recall that Chief Ikeotuonye emerged as AA candidate at a keenly contested governorship primary conducted July 1st by the authentic national chairman of AA Chief Kenneth Udeze.
And as required by INEC guidelines the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Action Alliance AA Chief Barr Kenneth Udeze and Vernimbe A James respectively submitted the name of the governorship candidate Johnn Okechukwu Ikeotuonye and deputy, Akabude Bonaventure Chimezie
to INEC headquarters Abuja on 5th July 2021and was duly acknowledged by the office of the Chairman of INEC.
One of the party chieftain who spoke on the condition of anonymity wonder why INEC is still reluctant to recognise Chief Udeze as the authentic national chairman of AA despite a judgement by the FCT High court of February 12, 2021 which quashed the purported national convention of the party in Osogbo in February 15 when his (Udeze) four years tenure was still subsisting and without a valid notice to NEC of the party.
The secretary further said” and since the election of Udeze and James as Action Alliance National Chairman and National Secretary respectively on 8th April 2017 and re -election on 14th March 2021 No court has stopped us from parading ourselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of the party despite several unsuccessful attempt by some former members of the party who INEC is colluding with to destabilize our party.
“It may interest you to know that there is a pending matter at the FCT high court Abuja erroneously between ACTION ALLIANCE V BARR.KENNETH UDEZE AND VERNIMBE A JAMES. Where the dependent erroneously on behalf of Action Alliance is praying the court to give order stopping from parading ourselves as National Chairman and National Secretary respectively of Action Alliance.
“The matter is still pending in court as no court order stopping us from parading ourselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of Action Alliance AA hence we remain the Authentic and legitimate National Chairman and National Secretary of Action Alliance as no court has removed us.
“What is the interest of INEC in Action Aliance .INEC should do the needful by publishing John Okechukwu Ikeotuonye as the governorship candidate of our party.
