The Action Alliance (AA) in Kogi State has officially distanced itself from Olayinka Ibrahimoh, its candidate who filed a lawsuit to contest the victory of Usman Ododo in the November 11 governorship election.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olu Omotoso, announced that the decision to disown Ibrahimoh was made during an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The party’s national chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, clarified the party’s position, emphasizing that the AA is not inclined to pursue legal action against the Governor-elect, Alhaji Usman Ododo. Omoaje revealed that Ibrahimoh, after emerging as the candidate of the election, operated independently without consulting the party.
Expressing discontent with Ibrahimoh’s unilateral actions, Omoaje remarked, “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.”
Omoaje also highlighted the party’s efforts to engage with Ibrahimoh, lamenting the candidate’s refusal to collaborate with the party’s leadership. He recounted an incident involving the Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa, who was left without communication during his team’s stay in Kogi State.
“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,” Omoaje asserted.
The move by the AA to disown its candidate’s legal challenge underscores the internal disarray within the party, shedding light on the complexities surrounding the aftermath of the Kogi gubernatorial election. This development also brings to the fore the intricate dynamics and power struggles that often define the political landscape of Nigerian states.
