….Explains decision not to challenge outcome of poll at tribunal
The Action Alliance has distanced itself from a suit filed at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition challenging the outcome of the November 11th poll.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, its national chairman, Hon (Dr) Adekunle Rufai Omoaje said the party is not interested in pursuing a case against Governor-elect, Alhaji Usman Ododo.
Omoaje said after emerging as the candidate, Olayinka Ibrahimoh operated without carrying the party along and his decision to head to the judiciary is not supported by the Action Alliance.
He said as far they are concerned there’s no petition at the Tribunal.
The party said it will sanction anyone that goes into any illegal arrangements with some persons in the tribunal to plant any petition as the time permitted for such has also elapsed.
He said: “From the moment INEC published the final list of candidates for the Kogi gubernatorial election, Olayinka Ibrahimoh, our adopted candidate for that election deliberately built an edge around himself against the party, making it difficult to relate with him.
“Every overture to him from the party’s leadership to discuss his plans for the election was rebuffed with bold-faced arrogance. The Deputy National Chairman of our great party, in person of Alhaji Ibrahim Isa who led the national team to Kogi State to monitor the election, was left an orphan in Lokoja throughout his team’s stay in the state. Not even a single call was made to him all through.
“A few days ago, we heard that the party in Kogi State had approached the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal with a petition on behalf of the party without the national leadership knowing it at all. We have come a long way in political engagements to understand the dangers involved in such isolated arrangements. We will not allow our party to be rubbished again as we witnessed in the recent past with such arrangements that isolated the national office in similar processes.
“Consequent upon the aforementioned, we are stating clearly here that our party; the Action Alliance has no hand in the matter before the Kogi State governorship election tribunal and we say unequivocally that we are not interested in the matter at all. “
