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…Ibrahim insists he complied with Electoral Act and Tinubu’s directive

By Gloria Ikibah

The dispute over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency of Ekiti State took a fresh turn on Tuesday after the member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Kolawole Akinlayo, released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that the party’s candidate, Kunle Ibrahim, was still serving as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters when he contested the APC primary.

The latest exchange marks another chapter in the growing controversy surrounding the party’s primary ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akinlayo has repeatedly challenged Ibrahim’s emergence as the APC candidate, arguing that the former presidential aide failed to comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in party primaries.

The lawmaker also maintained that Ibrahim’s participation in the May primary contravened Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political appointees to vacate office before contesting elective positions.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Akinlayo insisted Ibrahim remained in office and continued to perform the duties of his appointment at the time of the primary election.
Ibrahim had earlier rejected the allegation, insisting he resigned in line with both the Electoral Act and the President’s directive.

“I resigned my appointment as SSA to the President on National Assembly matters. This is indeed, in compliance with the law and the directive of Mr President.

“Whoever want to verify that can always cross check at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation”, Ibrahim had stated.

However, Akinlayo on Tuesday forwarded copies of what he identified as Ibrahim’s April and May 2026 salary payslips, arguing that they contradicted the former presidential aide’s claim.

The payslips, generated through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), showed Ibrahim received a gross monthly salary of ₦1,043,176.88 in both April and May 2026. After tax deductions of ₦171,567.14, the records indicated a net monthly salary of ₦871,609.74 for each month.

According to Akinlayo, the documents demonstrate that Ibrahim remained on the Federal Government payroll during the period leading up to the APC primary.

He further argued that President Tinubu’s directive was explicit.

“If he resigned in March, why did he collect salary in April? If he was paid in error in April, why again was he paid in May? We are talking about taxpayers’ money here in an economy where people are struggling to afford life’s basic necessities.

“Ibrahim ought to have vacated office in March 2026, making the salaries paid to him in April and May subject to public scrutiny,” Akinlayo said.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that President Tinubu had directed political appointees intending to contest elective positions in the 2027 general elections to resign before participating in party primaries, a move aimed at ensuring compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and preventing the use of public office to gain political advantage.

Responding on Tuesday, Ibrahim’s Media Office dismissed Akinlayo’s allegations as the reaction of a defeated aspirant unwilling to accept the outcome of the primary election.

In a statement titled, “Setting the record straight: Why Akinlayo’s desperate allegations against Hon Ibrahim Olarewaju are doomed to fail,” the media office said the lawmaker was attempting to rewrite the outcome of the contest.

The statement said:
“The recent media theatrics by Kolawole Akinlayo, following his decisive defeat at the APC primary election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, represent nothing more than a desperate attempt to manipulate public perception after failing to secure the mandate of the people.

“It is unfortunate, though not surprising, that a sitting lawmaker would choose to resort to falsehoods and petty innuendo rather than accepting the verdict of his constituents.

“For the sake of clarity and to protect the integrity of the process, we must set the record straight: Hon Ibrahim Olarewaju, a man of integrity and deep respect for the rule of law, was never in violation of any electoral provision. His resignation as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters was officially effective March 31, 2026.”

The statement added that the resignation had been publicly reported and can be independently verified.

It further argued that Akinlayo could have sought official confirmation rather than making allegations through the media.

“Widely reported in The Nation Newspaper on April 1, 2026, and further substantiated by his extensive interview with The Tribune on April 26, 2026.

“Had Akinlayo been a serious contender rather than a purveyor of assumptions, he could have easily accessed facts of the resignation letter through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation”, it added.

It also dismissed Akinlayo’s complaints over the conduct of the primary, saying the election reflected the will of party members.

The media office accused the lawmaker of attempting to tarnish Ibrahim’s reputation after losing the primary.

“The path of character assassination, attempting to discredit a candidacy that has received the overwhelming nod of stakeholders, party delegates and members.

“It is laughable that Akinlayo, who lost in all three local governments within the constituency, now claims the election was ‘fraught with irregularities.’ One must ask: if the process were truly flawed, why did he wait until he was soundly rejected by the party members to lodge these complaints?

“No amount of mudslinging from a rejected politician will distract from the mandate he has rightfully earned“, it stated.

The dispute stems from the APC primary conducted to select the party’s candidate for the Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While Akinlayo insists Ibrahim was ineligible because he allegedly failed to resign before the primary, Ibrahim maintains that his resignation took effect on 31 March 2026 and that he fully complied with both the Electoral Act and the President’s directive.

With both camps holding firmly to their positions, the controversy continues to fuel debate over the interpretation of the Electoral Act’s provisions on political appointees seeking elective office, with the possibility that the matter could ultimately be resolved through the courts or the APC’s internal dispute resolution process.

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The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Henry Seriake Dickson, has announced that the party has been granted access to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal to upload the names of its qualified candidates for the 2027 general elections.

Dickson made the disclosure on Monday in a statement posted on his X platform, while also revealing that the party had filed an appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a recent court ruling affecting its status.

According to him, the appeal and accompanying application have been served on the INEC Chairman and the commission, urging them to act in accordance with the law.

He maintained that the NDC remains a duly registered political party that has participated in all electoral processes so far and has already concluded its nomination exercises across the country.

“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria. Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged from the party for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC,” he said.

Dickson disclosed that only the administrative process of submitting candidates’ names remained, adding that the party had already been granted access to the INEC portal.

“My name and that of the presidential candidate have been uploaded to the INEC portal, while that of the vice-presidential candidate will be uploaded tomorrow upon completion of the deposition. The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he stated.

He noted that, in line with the INEC timetable, the party has until July 11 to upload the names of its National Assembly candidates and until July 17 for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates.

“There is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC, and there is no reason for anyone to panic,” he added.

Dickson thanked all aspirants who participated in the party’s primaries, acknowledging that although the exercises were not perfect, they were conducted under challenging circumstances for a newly registered political party with a large number of contestants.

He disclosed that reconciliation efforts had commenced to unite members who were unsuccessful in the primaries, assuring them that they would be accommodated in the party’s campaigns, committees and other structures.

“As National Leader, I congratulate all NDC candidates, members and lovers of democracy. All those who expressed interest will be carried along because they constitute the grassroots strength and backbone of our party,” he said.

The former Bayelsa State governor also stressed the need to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic system, warning against attempts to weaken the country’s multi-party democracy.

“Our multi-party democracy must not die. We will not allow desperados and mercenaries parading as political leaders to destroy our hard-earned democracy,” he declared.

Dickson commended INEC for what he described as its professionalism, particularly in complying with court directives on the registration of the NDC and two other political parties.

He also praised the commission’s decision to oppose moves seeking the deregistration of some opposition parties and its recognition of the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a court order.

While acknowledging the imperfections of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, Dickson urged political leaders to protect the neutrality of the judiciary, INEC and security agencies.

He expressed confidence that the judiciary would fairly determine the pending appeal, saying, “Having filed and served our appeal and the accompanying applications, the ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the judiciary to do what is right under the law.”

He ended the statement with a reaffirmation of the party’s commitment to Nigeria’s democracy, declaring, “Long live the NDC. Long live Nigerian democracy.”

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Giant portraits of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s late supreme leader killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, hung from Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Tuesday as workers raced to prepare for his grand funeral ceremony.

His funeral, initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, will take place as Iran and the United States uphold a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary deal to halt the conflict.

His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings.

The bodies of his slain relatives will also be presented.

The ceremonies are expected to draw between 15 and 20 million mourners, according to officials, which would make it the biggest state funeral in the country’s history.

Workers applied fresh paint across the venue, while a heavy police presence could be seen around the site.

Footage aired by state television showed workers welding metal structures as cranes lifted construction material around the complex.

With huge crowds expected, state television has been urging mourners to use public transport to reach the venue and issued public safety messages urging people to stay hydrated with temperatures set to rise during the funeral period.

An AFP journalist saw some lanes on major highways across the capital already closed, adding to Tehran’s notoriously heavy traffic.

State television has also devoted much of its programming in recent days to documentaries on Khamenei’s life.

– ‘Bright future’ –

A separate event for foreign heads of state is scheduled for Friday, according to Ali-Akbar Pourjamshidian, secretary of the funeral ceremony headquarters.

He estimated that representatives from around 30 countries are expected to attend the funeral with people pouring in from neighbouring countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Tehran, as well as the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, which will host later stages of the funeral and burial ceremonies, will observe public holidays while the events are under way.

Authorities have ordered public and private offices in Tehran to close from Saturday through Monday, while major traffic restrictions will make much of the city centre inaccessible to private vehicles.

The ceremony also comes six months after nationwide protests that began over the rising cost of living before evolving into anti-government demonstrations.

Across Tehran, funeral posters promised Iran a “bright future”, while others displayed the ceremony’s slogan: “We Must Rise”.

Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s body will be taken to the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before his burial on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace.

But at the main ceremony in Tehran, it remains unknown if Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba, who has not been seen in public since his appointment, will be present.

“The issue of the Supreme Leader’s attendance is not within my authority or knowledge,” said Pourjamshidian.

“If there is any programme, it will certainly be announced by the Office of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”