Former Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ayo Arise, has asked a court to determine whether the All Progressives Congress (APC) complied with its guidelines in conducting the party’s senatorial primary, insisting that the process was flawed.
Arise, who contested the APC primary for the Ekiti North Senatorial ticket, said he approached the court immediately after the exercise because he believed the party failed to adhere to its own rules governing the conduct of the primary election.
Speaking in an interview in Ado-Ekiti, the former lawmaker maintained that he won the primary and expressed confidence that the court would restore what he described as his mandate.
He explained that he filed the suit before the party officially announced the outcome because of the timelines stipulated in the Electoral Act, noting that waiting any longer could have rendered his case statute-barred.
According to Arise, the legal action is intended not only to challenge the outcome of the primary but also to ensure that political parties comply with their own rules and strengthen internal democracy.
He alleged that many aspirants were led to believe that only the party’s national leadership had the authority to declare the winner, contrary to the APC’s guidelines, which he said clearly prescribe the procedure for announcing election results.
“I went ahead and filed my case in court because I knew what was coming. That is why I was not surprised when my name was omitted. This is not just about me; it is about ensuring that we have a system that works for everybody,” he said.
Arise further claimed that despite submitting his complaints and supporting evidence during the party’s appeal process, his petition was not given due consideration.
“My name was omitted. I wasn’t cleared despite presenting my complaints and evidence during the appeal process. For anyone not to see what happened, it must have been deliberate. There appeared to be a written script,” he alleged.
The suit seeks a judicial determination on whether the APC complied with its constitution and primary election guidelines in the conduct of the Ekiti North senatorial primary. If successful, the case could have implications for the party’s candidate selection process ahead of the next general election.
