APC Assembly Candidates Raises Alarm Over Party Forged Signatures, Says We Have Not Withdrawn

Sade AdewaleDecember 6, 2018

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Three candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the Lagos State House of Assembly have raised an alarm over alleged forged signatures bearing their names on the withdrawal forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They asked the electoral body not to entertain any forged documents bearing their signatures as they have not withdrawn from the contest.

The APC candidates are Hon. Rauf Olawale Age-Sulaiman, contesting the state House of Assembly in Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 11, Hon. Olumoh Saad Lukman, contesting the state House of Assembly in Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency 1 and Hon. Olanrewaju Suleiman Afinni, contesting the state House of Assembly in Lagos Island Constituency 11.

In a statement in Abuja on Thursday, they claimed that information at their disposals revealed that some persons within the APC were colluding with some senior staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the submission center located at International Conference Center (ICC) to change their names for another party members who were not original candidates.

The candidates claimed that they have not empowered any person or group of persons to forge their identities, adding that the Electoral Act “succinctly forbids the substitution of candidates of political parties after the nomination and submission of the list of candidates to the INEC.

“Section 33 of the Act states that “A Political Party shall not be allowed to change or substitute a candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to section 31 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.

“We are hereby notifying the Nigerian people and especially the INEC of the antics of such unscrupulous persons in the Commission aimed at subverting the provision of they law so that the Commission can avert same and give effect to Section 33 of the Act,” the statement stated.