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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 sighted by naijablitznews.com  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.