From Mokolade Michael, Akure
National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Hon. Rufai Adekunle Omoaje, has declared that the party was not aware of any case filed before the Edo State Election Petitions tribunal, maintaining that the suit was filed by an impostor.
One Ukonga Frank Onaivi, who claimed to be a member of the AA, had filed a case before the tribunal, seeking cancellation of the election that renewed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s tenancy at the Edo Government House.
But Omoaje, while reacting to the development, said that Onaivi was not the governorship candidate of the AA in the last Edo State governorship election, hence he lacked the locus to institute any case on behalf of the party.
He said Mr. Godwin Edemakhiota Oasimiamia, the governorship candidate of the party in the election, had already congratulated Mr Obaseki on his victory.
He added that the leadership of the AA at both the state and national levels had also congratulated the Governor, stressing that “how come a party that had congratulated the winner would also challenge the winner. This shows that we are not aware of the litigation.”
According to him “the said litigant is an impostor and not one of us in the AA. It’s only the governorship candidate of the party that can challenge the result of an election. Onaivi who instituted the case at the tribunal lacks the power to do so. He did not represent the party
and we don’t know him. So, the public should consider him an impostor who has a hidden agenda.”
Omoaje informed that the National Executive Committee of the party has taken legal action against Onaivi, adding that the party is solidly with Governor Obaseki.
“We in the Action Alliance are ready to support the government of Governor Obaseki. The Governor is a very humble person who consulted us and sought for our support while contesting. We are ready to support him in any area he needs the support of the party. We are not challenging his victory at the tribunal,” he added.