The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified Hon Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the authentic national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA).
To this effect, the commission has updated its website, with the name of Omoaje appearing as the national chairman of the AA as against the name of one Kenneth Obidiche Udeze that was there before.
INEC had until recently recognized Udeze as the national chairman of the party after Udeze was suspended and subsequently expelled from the party per the party’s constitution and the approval of the members of the executive committee of the party.
However, Udeze continued to parade himself as the national chairman of the party despite various court judgments that gave recognition to Omoaje who emerged as the national chairman of the party at the party’s lawfully constituted convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
But on Tuesday, INEC retraced its step as it formally recognized Omoaje as the authentic and genuine national chairman of the party, thus publishing his name on the commission’s website.
The electoral body also removed the name of Udeze from its website completely and directed all its state and local government offices to recognize Omoaje as the national chairman of AA.
With this development, Omoaje is to present candidates for the next elections to be held in Bayelsa, Kogi, and other parts of the country.
Reacting to the development, the national chairman of the party, Omoaje noted that the party will continue to thrive despite the challenges posed by Udeze’s illegal actions.
He appreciated the leaders and members of the party across the 36 states of the country for standing by him, assuring that he would continue to raise the banner of the party high.
Recall that some courts of competent jurisdictions including an Ogun State High Court, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, and the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal had ordered INEC to recognize Omoaje as the national chairman of the AA.
INEC had failed to honor the orders of the court and continued to act in deviance from court orders until now.