Be ready for jail, Oyo APC tells 5 Accord chieftains

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo state has accused five chieftains of the opposition Accord members of hatching vicious ploys  to mislead the judiciary and members of the public in their alleged surreptitious plans to unseat Senator Sunmonu who defeated their preferred candidate, Mr. Oyebisi Ilaka, in the last general election.

Senator Sunmonu

Five persons had in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/760/2015 filed in September 2015 at a Federal High Court, Abuja claimed to have been misled into casting their ballots respective votes for Sen. Sunmonu of the APC against other contestants and having discovered that “she is a British citizen”, they prayed the court to remove the senator who is representing Oyo Central Senatorial district at the Upper Legislative Chamber of the National Assembly.

The five plaintiffs in the suit are; Mr. Abiodun Wahab Azeez, Alhaji Bola Akinyemi, Hon. Chief Emmanuel Oladeji, Chief Samuel Adebayo Elegbede and Chief Thomas Ajao.

But in a statement issued in Ibadan by its director of publicity and strategy, Olawale Sadare, the APC described the five men as bare-faced liars who are chieftains of the Accord Party seeking another furtive means to blackmail a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who had defeated their own candidate at the poll on March 28, 2015.

“The ground on which they approached the Federal High Court, Abuja to blackmail Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu formed the nucleus of their earlier petition before the tribunal which was dismissed for lacking in merit and we are aware they have again headed for the Court of Appeal to upturn the sound judgment.

“Interestingly, the same characters who played significant roles, as card-carrying members and chieftains of the Accord Party, in the build-up to the general election and subsequent challenge of the victory of the APC candidates at various tribunals are now disguising as either non-partisan voters or APC sympathizers with a view to misleading the court and the general public. In their statements filed in court they claim to have voted for Sen. Sunmonu, the APC candidate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Alhaji Bola Akinyemi is the Administrative Secretary of the Accord Party in Oyo State and he was to be included as a principal witness in the Ladoja vs Ajimobi governorship election petition before the tribunal declined on account of a procedural error by the Petitioners’ lawyers. On the other hand, Abiodun Wahab and Emmanuel Oladeji are leaders of the Accord in Surulere and Oyo East (ward 1) local government areas respectively. Samuel Elegbede is also an Accord party chieftain in ward 4 Oyo East local government.

“Apart from the fact that these Bisi Ilaka foot-soldiers are chasing shadows, they have lied on oath and it is obvious that these unscrupulous and desperate politicians are up to a game of treachery not minding the legal implications of tissues of lies they have again sworn to on oath. We, therefore, urge them to retrace their steps or be made to face the wrath of the law,” Sadare stated.

“As for the lies told in court, Perjury is punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment,” headded.

In rounding up Sadare told the people of Oyo Central to remain calm asserting that the only court with the power to remove an elected official was the election petition tribunal where Accord had already failed woefully.