TheCable

The Osun state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) says Ademola Adeleke, its former senatorial aspirant, was never a member of the party.

In a statement on Thursday by Kunle Oyatomi, its publicity secretary, the party said Adeleke’s withdrawal from the primary of Osun west senatorial district was “purely a reconsideration as well as an admission of his apparent weakness to confront a tough challenger.”

Adeleke had alleged that he withdrew from the primary because of “manipulation and interference by some political godfathers.”

He subsequently emerged the PDP candidate in the election.

Reacting, the party described as “total falsehood” Adeleke’s reason for withdrawal.

It said the allegations were not only “baseless and unsubstantiated” but had no direct or indirect bearing on the candidate’s decision to abandon his quest for the party’s ticket.

“It is obvious that Otunba Ademola Adeleke is not conversant with the processes for the nomination of a candidate to contest an election in our party,” the statement read.

“Contrary to his erroneous claim of obvious manipulations and interference, paragraph 16(d) of the 2014 guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office makes it clear that the national working committee (NWC), acting on behalf of national executive committee (NEC), is the ultimate authority on the qualifications of candidates to contest a primary election.

“This is more so if an appeal is lodged by any aggrieved aspirant or candidate. Therefore, the decision of the NWC cannot be seen as manipulation as this has been the standard practice of our great party since its formation.

“Second, the claim that the primary was not held at the senatorial district headquarters is baseless. For one thing, there is no such thing as a senatorial district headquarters in the 1999 Constitution.

“Available records now reveal that Otunba Adeleke was never a member of APC in the state, as there is no evidence of his registration as a member in his Abogunde/Sagba ward 2 in Ede north LGA. There are also no records of his involvement in party meetings at all levels.

“His only affiliations with the party were his occasional appearances with his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, at party functions, particularly the campaigns.

“The fact that he is a member of the Adeleke family therefore cannot and does not confer membership of the APC on him. This is like the case of Fadeyi Oloro, a popular Yoruba artiste, who always attends APC functions, without being a member of our great party.”