The Action Alliance (AA) political Party has said that there are plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to illegally exclude the legitimate the Partys legitimate candidate, Mr. John Okechukwu Ikeotuonye  from contesting the upcoming Anambra governorship election.
A statement made available by the AA National Chairman, Chief Barr. Kenneth Udeze said that the candidate, John Okechukwu Ikeotuonye complied with all the requirements of the party and emerged as the candidate of the party at a keenly contented primaries on July 1, 2021.
The statement read: “As required by INEC guidelines, the authentic and legitimate National Chairman and National Secretary of the Action Alliance, Chief Barr. Kenneth Udeze and Vernimbe A. James respectively submitted the names of Action Alliance  Governorship candidate,  John Okechukwu Ikeotuonye and his Deputy, Akabude Bonaventure Chimezie to INEC headquarters in Abuja on July 5, 2021and was duly acknowledged by the office of the Chairman of INEC.
“Nigerians will recall that since the election of Chief Barr. Kenneth Udeze and Vernimbe A. James  as Action Alliance National Chairman and National Secretary respectively on 8th April 2017 and reelection on 14th March 2021, no court has stopped them from parading themselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of the party.
“This is in spite of several unsuccessful attempts by some former members of the party who INEC is alleged to be colluding with to destabilise our party.
“In the12th February 2021 Judgement of the FCT High Court between Chief Barr. Kenneth Udeze. V INEC and 2 others, the Court nullified the purported 15th February 2020 National Convention in Osogbo while the 4 year tenure was still subsisting before the purported Osogbo convention organised without a valid notice to NEC as required by law which the court found out and declared the purported convention as null and void.
“It May interest Nigerians to know that there is a pending matter at the FCT High Court in Abuja erronously between ACTION Â ALLIANCE Â V Â BARR.KENNETH UDEZE AND VERNIMBE A. JAMES.
“Where the deponent erronously on behalf of Action Alliance is praying the court to give order stopping Chief Kenneth Udeze from parading himself as National Chairman and James Vernimbe as National Secretary respectively of Action Alliance.
“The matter is still pending in court as there is no court order stopping the duo from parading ourselves as National Chairman and National Secretary of Action Alliance AA hence they  remain  the authentic and legitimate National Chairman and National Secretary of Action Alliance as no court has removed them.
“What is the interest of INEC in Action Alliance. INEC should do the needful by publishing  John Okechukwu  Ikeotuonye as the authentic governorship candidate of our Party Action Alliance.
“It has been alleged by other sources within the party that some officers of INEC may be involved in a clandestine move to announce one Maduka as the AA candidate in a bid to later substitute her with a known money bag who lost out of the PDP primaries”.
Chief Udeze said that the party’s lawful executive has indicated that this will be challenged in court and the full force of law brought to bear upon all compromised officials.
