Replaced candidates: Legal battle begins in APC as Arise heads to court

The anticipated legal battles in the All Progressives Congress, APC, as Senator Ayo Arise whose name was omitted in the final list of candidates has dragged the party court to challenge the outcome of the  Ekiti North Senatorial District primary.

Sen Arise, who formerly represented Ekiti North at the National Assembly, contested in the May APC primary but his name did not appear in the final list of candidates.

Speaking during an interview in Ado-Ekiti, Arise said his decision to institute legal action immediately after the primary was informed by his understanding of the timelines stipulated by Nigeria’s electoral act, noting that he was not surprised when his name was eventually omitted from the list of party candidates.

He said the legal action is not driven by personal ambition but by the need to ensure that political parties comply with their own rules and uphold democratic principles.

Arise explained that he filed his suit within the legally prescribed period to avoid losing the opportunity to seek judicial intervention, arguing that waiting for subsequent announcements by the party would have rendered any legal action ineffective.

Arise pointed out that many aspirants were misled into waiting for declarations by the party’s national leadership, despite provisions in the APC guidelines indicating how the primary process should be concluded.

He said the party’s actions were inconsistent with its own guidelines governing the conduct of the primary election.

His words, “I went ahead and filed my case in court because I knew what was coming. That is why I was not surprised at the outcome. This is not about me; it is about ensuring that we have a system that works for everybody”.

“If anyone decides to file now, that person would already be out of time. My lawyer understood the law, and we filed within the required timeline.

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