NNPP tells INEC: Adedapo still our Oyo governorship candidate
- The NNPP has rejected reports that its Oyo State governorship and deputy governorship candidates withdrew from the race.
- In a petition to INEC, the party asked the commission to keep Adebiyi Adedapo and Muibat Folasade Durojaiye on its records.
- The party wants INEC to investigate the withdrawal letters and affidavits it says were not authorised.
The New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) says its Oyo State governorship candidate, Adebiyi Adedapo, and his running mate, Alhaja Muibat Folasade Durojaiye, have not stepped down, despite reports of a withdrawal.
The party made its position known in a petition to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), signed by its National Secretary, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday.
According to the petition, the NNPP leadership under Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam did not authorise any withdrawal or substitution of its Oyo candidates.
The party said it is worried about signatures said to belong to Adedapo and Durojaiye on the withdrawal documents. It denied authorising any forgery or falsification of either candidate's signature.
"Any allegation of forgery or fraudulent representation must be investigated thoroughly, and responsibility must be established through a fair and lawful process," the petition said.
What the party wants from INEC
The NNPP asked INEC to keep its existing nomination records and to reject any document it finds to be forged, falsified or submitted without proper authorisation.
It also wants the commission to hold off on any substitution of the candidates' names until the authenticity of the documents is established and the law is followed.
The party further asked INEC to look into whether the withdrawal letters and affidavits were genuinely signed by the candidates and whether the required procedures were followed. Any credible evidence of forgery, perjury or fraud, it said, should go to law enforcement and prosecutors.
The NNPP stressed that the integrity of its nomination process must be protected from false affidavits, forged signatures and unauthorised withdrawal letters.
Why it matters
Candidate lists are the foundation of any election. If names can be changed through disputed paperwork, voters in Oyo may not be sure who is actually on the ballot when the governorship election comes.
The petition does not say who is behind the alleged withdrawal documents, and no one has been charged. The NNPP is asking for an investigation, not naming a suspect.
INEC has not publicly responded to the petition. What happens next depends on how the commission treats the records before it and whether it opens the investigation the party is asking for.
