Just Like Doguwa, INEC Removes Adefarati’s Name From Reps-elect List

The name of the former Ondo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adegboyega Adefarati, has been delisted from the published list of the House of Representatives members-elect.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adefarati the winner of the election for Akoko South West and Akoko South East federal constituency in Ondo state.

Adefarati, son of the late Adebayo Adefarati, former Ondo governor, polled 25,872 votes to beat his closest rival, Gbenga Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 18,403 votes.

Announcing the result, the Returning officer for the National Assembly election in the state, Ibukun Emmanuel, said Adefarati had been elected into the 10th assembly under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, in the newly released list of members elected on Tuesday, the electoral body did not list Adefarati as a member of the 10th national assembly.

INEC disclosed that the reason behind the delisting is due to a February 17 court order which voided the party’s primary that produced Adefarati as the candidate for the constituency.

Naija News learned that aspirants in the APC primary election for the constituency, Segun Ategbole and John Adanike, had approached the court.

In their separate suits, the aspirants alleged infractions in the exercise and also sought to be declared winners of the election.

Also, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)’s candidate for the seat, Ogunleye Teloye, had also approached the court with an originating summons.

Ogunleye prayed the court to disqualify the APC from participating in the election over the party’s failure to conduct a primary election 180 days before the parliamentary poll.

However, the presiding judge, Justice T.B. Adegoke, held that the APC had no candidate for the house of representatives election, pointing out that the party did not hold a valid primary election.

Citing the 180 days window as provided in the electoral act 2022, Adegoke restrained the APC from conducting any fresh primary poll.

The judge also restrained INEC from accepting the names of Ategbole and Adanike, or any name from the ruling APC.

Justice  Adegoke also prohibited Adefarati from presenting himself as the candidate of APC for the February 25 election.

Recall that the name of the embattled leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa was also removed by INEC from the list of election winners.

INEC disclosed that the declaration of Doguwa as the winner was made under duress.