EXCLUSIVE: [APC membership] Alleged petitioner distances self from ‘fake petition’ against Osun REC, Raheem Olalekan
Nigerians may not have seen or heard all of the drama surrounding the nomination of Alhaji Muideen Olalekan Raheem as Resident Electoral Commissioner nominee from Osun State.
Newsclickng.com can authoritatively report that a supposed petitioner, one Abideen Oyeggbade who was alleged to have written a petition against Resident Electoral Commissioner nominee for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Alhaji Muideen Olalekan Raheem has distanced himself from the petition which he (Oyegbade) labelled as ‘fake-petition’.
Oyegbade who made the rebuttal in a statement he personally signed and issued to nemswen said he has been seriously disturbed about the issues, stressing that he never wrote any petition against anyone.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate dated Oct. 28, requested the confirmation of the appointment of Raheem Olalekan and two others as RECs.
The others are Umar Gajiram Commissioner (Borno) and Dr Alalibo Johnson Commissioner (Bayelsa).
Newsclickng.com reports that while the senate confirmed nominees from other states, it couldn’t do same for Osun because of a petition against the nominee from the state.
Speaking on why it could not screen the nominee last week Tuesday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sen. Kabiru Gaya said that the three nominees were invited to the committee and were all screened.
“They were asked questions and they answered to the best of their ability, there were no petitions for the two of the candidates Dr Alalibo Johnson and Alhaji Aminu Guram.
“There was a petition against Alhaji Olalekan from Osun state based on constitutional provision of the Act which said the President should nominate present Commissioners of INEC of people of integrity and good character and they should not be a card-carrying member of any political party.
“For Olalekan, there was a petition against him that he is a member of a political party, that he has run through campaigns and that he is a registered member of a political party.
“We asked him questions he defended himself to the best he could but there is still more to ask from him.
“We have given him two days to come back to us for more discussions,” Gaya said.
Recall also that Raheem, has been in the eye of the storm for the past few days being the only nominee of President Mohammadu Buhari for the post of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner being opposed by his constituency.
It is only Olalekan Raheem who has a petition against him on the basis that he was alleged to be a member of All Progressives Congress having attempted to contest Osogbo Local Government Chairmanship in 2013 and engaging in campaigning for a governorship aspirant in 2017-18.
Meanwhile, the alleged petitioner, Oyegbade in whose name and signature the petition was written and signed has alerted the public that he was never a part of the petition.
In an affidavit sworn at the Federal High Court and letter written to the senate, Oyegbade said the signature used on the said petitioner was fake and never emanated from him.
Read his letter as obtained exclusively by Newsclickng.com below:
“My attention has been drawn to a false petition dated 31.10.2019 submitted by some unscrupulous individuals in my name against the person of one Mr. Raheem Muideen Olalekan A.K.A Kosemoni. To my utmost surprise, the writers of the fake petition attributed it to my residential address in Ikire, Osun State, and out a fake signature purportedly belonging to me.
This is to issue a disclaimer against the said petition as I did not author any such petition and neither did I submit any petition against anyone. I have been seriously disturbed by this fake petition as I did not at any time write or submit any petition against anybody. It is in this light that I have deposed to the affidavit herein attached and hereby plead that you look into this matter with a view to doing justice in this case”.
