By Samuel Sunday
A Senatorial aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Ekiti South Senatorial District, Dr. Ayodele Ayokunle Olusegun, has alleged that his name was initially uploaded and validated on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidate nomination portal as the party’s candidate before it was later removed from the final list.
Dr. Olusegun, who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday, called on the national leadership of the NDC to ensure strict compliance with due process and internal democracy in the handling of the 2027 senatorial nomination for the district.
According to him, he fully complied with all financial and procedural requirements stipulated by the party for the aspiration. He disclosed that he paid N3,000,000 for Expression of Interest Form, N5,000,000 for Nomination Form and N390,000 as voluntary party development contribution, bringing the total to N8,390,000.
He said he has documentary evidence of the payments, including copies of his duly completed INEC Forms EC9 and EC13.
The aspirant debunked claims suggesting that his nomination was bankrolled by another party member, Apostle Ayodele David-Adesua, insisting that all payments were made directly by him.
Dr. Olusegun further alleged that beyond the official nomination fees, he paid a total of N800,000 in three installments of N400,000, N200,000 and N200,000 to facilitate the submission and upload of his nomination documents, a process he said should ordinarily cost about N80,000.
According to him, he was initially assured that his documents had been successfully submitted and uploaded.
“Adesua called haphazardly to request money intermittently during the process, and we gave him towards our nomination form fees. The 800,000 – 400k, 200k, and 200k was part of the 8.39m,” he explained.
Dr. Olusegun claimed that subsequent checks with senior officials of the party at the national level and his personal verification on the INEC portal confirmed his status as the party’s candidate until shortly before the release of the final list.
“I personally validated the information from within the INEC portal. My name was listed before it was later absent,” he said.
He expressed concern over what he described as irregular handling of nomination documents for Ekiti South, alleging that his candidacy information was altered without his consent. He also alleged that similar discrepancies affected another aspirant in the contest.
The allegations, as of press time, are yet to be independently verified, and efforts to obtain responses from the individuals mentioned were still ongoing.
Despite the development, Dr. Olusegun said he remains a loyal and financially up-to-date member of the NDC and has resolved to seek redress through lawful internal party mechanisms and appropriate legal channels.
“We are following procedural formalities, and justice shall prevail,” he stated.
He disclosed that he had already commenced grassroots mobilization across the six local government areas that make up Ekiti South Senatorial District, with the printing of over 20,000 handbills, 10,000 posters, 120 banners and 20 billboard banners to drive his aspiration codenamed “AA4SENATE: Ekiti South.”
“Way forward is AA4SENATE: Ekiti South. My immediate focus is to seek clarification and justice through proper channels,” he added.
Dr. Olusegun reaffirmed his confidence in the national leadership of the NDC to intervene and resolve the matter in line with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the principles of fairness, equity and internal democracy.
He appealed to his supporters across Ekiti South to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the party leadership addresses the matter.
