Following the conclusion of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in Ondo state, there has been skepticism among political observers due to Senator Jimoh Ibrahim’s decision to file a lawsuit against the party’s leadership and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Citing alleged irregularities and non-compliance with INEC guidelines, Ibrahim seeks a judicial intervention, demanding either a re-run of the election or to be declared the winner.
However, the move has been met with sharp criticism from various quarters, including the Coalition of Progressive Ambassadors.
In a statement made available to newsmen by COPA’s Director General, Belele David Tamarau-kuro, the coalition while acknowledging Ibrahim’s constitutional right to seek redress, questions the merit of his claims.
They argue that Ibrahim’s distant fourth-place finish, with only 10% of the total valid votes cast, undermines the validity of his challenge.
Moreover, they assert that his accusations of electoral irregularities lack substantial evidence and are likely to be dismissed in court.
COPA further speculates on Ibrahim’s motives, suggesting a potential alignment with the opposition party to undermine the ruling party’s chances in the upcoming election.
Allegations of clandestine meetings with opposition candidates add fuel to these suspicions.
The statement partly read, “Jimoh Ibrahim’s claims that the primary election was marred by irregularities and did not follow the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) guidelines are nothing more than a mirage and assumptions that can never be proven. As a group, we believe Jimoh’s case in court will be fruitless and a waste of resources.
“Despite Jimoh’s intimidating academic credentials, he fails to understand the position of political parties on issues regarding party primary elections. Nonetheless, Ibrahim should be aware that he will not be the first or last contestant to challenge the results of a free and fair primary election. In the case of Ododo vs Smart Adeyemi, Adeyemi, a former Senator in the 9th Assembly, claimed that the primary election process that produced Usman Ododo was allegedly manipulated and did not follow electoral guidelines. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the case, stating that it lacked merit.
“We are well aware of Ibrahim’s shenanigans and his plan to cause another uproar in Ondo State’s ruling party. As a divider-in-general, we believe he is on a mission to sever His Excellency Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s mandate, which was freely given to him in the recently concluded primary election, similar to his previous strategy against Eyitayo Jegede in 2016. Eyitayo Jegede won the People’s Democratic Party primary election and was declared the winner of his political party primary election, but Jimoh Ibrahim confronted him with a heavy court case with an accusation that he was heavily sponsored by the then opposition party to destroy the People’s Democratic Party.
“Jimoh Ibrahim, who was alleged to have been sponsored by the then-opposition party, accepted the challenge and ran his then-party to the ground, resulting in the emergence of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. However, we are aware that this has become history in Ondo state politics, but we are prepared to avoid Jimoh’s political self-centered game in the Ondo 2024 Governor election.
“Despite hiring SANs to pursue his baseless case in court, we at COPA believe that Jimoh Ibrahim will drown in a pool of defeat as he embarks on a fruitless legal journey.”