By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
In response to the recent legal suit filed at the Ogun State High Court by a group claiming to represent the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Comrade Omokehinde Olowu, the Public Relations Officer of the NNPP faction recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has condemned the action. He described the plaintiff, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, as an impostor, accusing him of falsely assuming the role of National Secretary and leading a faction that lacks legitimacy.
The lawsuit in question seeks to prevent the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) from recognizing any primary elections of the NNPP in Ogun State, except those conducted by Oginni’s faction. The group reportedly conducted a primary election on August 30, 2024, at the NUJ Hall, Iwe Irohin House, Abeokuta, and the Court has temporarily restrained OGSIEC from acknowledging any other candidates for the upcoming local government elections, apart from those emerging from this disputed exercise.
Reacting to this development, Comrade Olowu, speaking from his office in Shimawa on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, emphatically dismissed the legitimacy of the August 30 primary elections. “The individuals involved in this so-called primary election have been dismissed from the NNPP with the full backing of a court ruling. Their actions are nothing short of a desperate attempt to create confusion,” Olowu asserted.
He further questioned the choice of venue for the primary elections, arguing that if Oginni’s faction were legitimate, they would have conducted their primaries at the party’s officially recognized secretariat at FAJOY House, Adatan, Abeokuta. “If they were truly representing the NNPP, why avoid our secretariat? Their decision to hold the primary at a different location only exposes their lack of credibility,” Olowu remarked.
Olowu urged the public and party members to remain vigilant, assuring them that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would soon clarify who the authentic representatives of the NNPP in Ogun State are.
He expressed confidence in the state’s electoral body and government, stating, “We trust that OGSIEC and the Ogun State Government will adhere to the rule of law, ensuring that only candidates from the legitimate, INEC-recognized NNPP faction will participate in the November 16 local government elections.”
The ongoing conflict within the Ogun State chapter of the NNPP has cast a shadow over the upcoming local government elections, but Olowu remains optimistic that justice will prevail and that the will of the true party members will be upheld.