Calls Mount for INEC to Remove Iyabo Obasanjo’s Name as Ogun Central Senatorial Candidate
The controversy surrounding Senator Iyabo Obasanjo’s emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District continues to generate debate.
According to our reporter’s investigation, INEC scheduled the period between May 23 and May 30 for political parties to conduct their primary elections.
However, it was in June that the PDP presented Iyabo Obasanjo as its candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District.
This followed her departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC), under which she had previously contested for the governorship.
She was not selected through a primary election as required under the electoral guidelines issued by INEC.
Our investigation further revealed that Hon. Ladi Adebutu is the only person who has presented himself as the governorship candidate, as at the time of filing this report, while INEC had yet to publish the names of candidates for the House of Representatives and Ogun Central senatorial elections.
The internal crisis within the party, which has divided its members into different factions, has also been identified as one of the major factors contributing to the controversy.
This was why, during the party’s primary election, different factions within the party reportedly conducted separate exercises.
One issue that political stakeholders have particularly highlighted is that Iyabo Obasanjo did not participate in the PDP senatorial primary election in Ogun State.
This is because she joined the APC in January this year and announced her intention to contest for governor under the party.
In April, the APC announced Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as its chosen governorship candidate, a development that reportedly displeased Iyabo Obasanjo.
On May 31, she wrote a letter announcing her resignation from the APC and subsequently joined the PDP in June, the PDP gave her its ticket to contest for the Ogun Central senatorial seat.
It was also gathered that there is no record showing that a senatorial primary election was conducted for her on April 30 this year.
They argued that the 2022 Electoral Act provides that anyone seeking to contest an election must participate in the party’s primary election, which must be supervised by INEC.
According to them, the PDP failed to comply with this requirement before presenting the former senator as its candidate.
It is on this basis that some political stakeholders are arguing that if INEC intends to act properly and in accordance with the law, it should not allow Iyabo Obasanjo’s name to remain on the list of candidates.
