Ogun APM candidate, Mr Olutosin Jolaoluwa, has said he would not withdraw from the race.
In his letter written to the National Chairman of the APM and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Jolaoluwa, the governorship hopeful stated that he remains the authentic candidate of APM in Ogun State.
Reports that former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun had withdrawn his support for Adekunle Akinlade, whom he had endorsed in the 2019 governorship race, threw Mr Jolaoluwa into the spotlight.
Mr Akinlade, the APM’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 election, switched to the PDP, where he is now running as the party’s running partner to Ladi Adebutu. Feelers from the gateway state is that Mr Amosun is not in support of Akinlade’s move to the PDP.
The former governor, a supporter of APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, is opposed to the party’s candidate in the state, Governor Dapo Abiodun, being re-elected.
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Analysts believe Mr Jolaoluwa will be persuaded to step aside for Mr Amosun’s new choice, Biyi Otegbeye, an Ogun West native.
The deadline for substituting governorship and House of Assembly candidates will shut on August 12th, according to INEC.
Mr Jolaoluwa stated in his letter to INEC that he is still running for the election and has no plans to stand aside for anyone.
He called the attention of the party and the electoral commission to a purported governorship primary election of the APM slated for Thursday, August 11, saying he remains the candidate.
“Sequel to the above, I hereby state categorically that I, Olutosin Emmanuel Jolaoluwa of #19, Alhaji Adeosun Street, Abiola Way, Abeokuta, am the bona-fide Ogun State gubernatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for the March 2023 general elections, as published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
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Section 31 of the new Nigeria Electoral Act 2022 states that: “A candidate may withdraw his or her candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered personally by the candidate to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the Commission not later than 90 days to the election.”
The Law states further in Section 33 that: “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate:
“Provided that in the case of such withdrawal or death of a candidate, the political party affected shall, within 14 days of the occurrence of the event, hold a fresh primary election to produce and submit a fresh candidate to the Commission for the election concerned.”
Attempts by Premium Times team to contact the party’s chairman, Kehinde Oyatayo, were futile because his phone number was unreachable.
