Things are currently being done at a feverish pace by Kwara state APC members seeking to emerge as late Abubakar Magaji Olawoyin’s replacement because ‘time is not on their side’. Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that the primary election may likely hold tomorrow, Saturday, 21 January 2023.
Section 33 of the 2022 electoral act says:
‘A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute a candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of this act except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.
Provided that in the case of such withdrawal or death of a candidate, the political party affected shall within 14 days of the occurrence of the event hold a fresh primary election to produce and submit a fresh candidate to the commission for the election concerned’.
Hon Magaji Abubakar Olawoyin’s death about two weeks ago had set the stage for a possible bruising battle over his replacement.
Olawoyin was until his death, a member of the Kwara state House of Assembly and he was also the House Leader.
Magaji, who was until his death, the representative of Ilorin Central state constituency, was also seeking to retain his parliament seat this year being one of the members of the House of Assembly that had gotten nominated by the APC for the House of Assembly election scheduled to hold in March.
The battle to replace him had since begun and those seeking to become the new Ilorin Central APC House of Assembly candidate had taken necessary steps to get this achieved.
In the primary election that was held last year, Hon. Abubakar Olawoyin had 13 votes, Abdulrasheed Laaro Oladimeji got 2 votes, Engineer Isiaka Toyin Agaka ,Bello Munirat Bolajoko and Lawal Abimbola Monshurat had 1 vote each.
New faces had since joined the race to replace Olawoyin including his brother; Oba Magaji, a barrister-at-law and Hon Sulaiman Abubakar.
Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that the primary election to produce a new candidate will be held tomorrow or next week while adding that it had been decided that five people from each of the five wards in the constituency will play the role of party delegates and choose a replacement for Olawoyin.
The constituency comprises five Wards; Badari, Oko Erin, Magaji ngeri, Warah and Baboko.
It was gathered that there was a suggestion that members of the Ward excos should be nominated as delegates while some had however argued that party members should be allowed to enjoy such a privilege.
The names of the delegates had since been announced at the Ward level and they are ready to choose a new candidate for the party.
‘The delegates are ready, but we don’t know if the primary election will still hold tomorrow or not. No one knows anything about the venue or time as we speak’ said a source– Team@orientactualmags.com
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