Gbajabiamila’s Former Aide, Odofin Reacts To Petition Calling For His Disqualification From House Of Reps Race

A former aide of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Mr Seun Odofin has said he resigned his appointment as stipulated by the Electoral Act before picking the ruling All Progressives Congress form to represent the Ijesa North Federal Constituency in Osun State.
Odofin disclosed this while responding to a petition submitted by some party chieftains, under the aegis of Concerned APC stakeholders Obokun/Oriade federal constituency to the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu.

The stakeholders had alleged that the aspirant neither appeared for screening nor resigned his appointment with the National Assembly as stipulated by the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
They argued that if Odofin was not disqualified, such flagrant disregard for the party’s rules could put the party’s interest in jeopardy and lead to the disqualification of the candidate if the opposition party approached the court to seek redress.
Responding, Odofin denied all the allegations, adding he was physically present at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja for the screening exercise and also presented himself for the process.
He said, “It has come to our knowledge that some unpatriotic members of our great Party, All Progressive Congress (APC), in collaboration with some unscrupulous opposition party members purportedly wrote a malicious petition to the national headquarters of our great party, the All Progressive Congress, with the aim of not only maligning the good name of Seun David Odofin, but also to put the integrity of the leadership of the party into disrepute.
“It has therefore become expedient for us to put the records straight and clarify some of the issues raised in their petition. Seun David Odofin remains one of the leading aspirants for the House of Representative seat at the Nigerian National Assembly in the 2023 election. He is the only aspirant who has demonstrated a clear knowledge of the assignment he is aspiring to take.
“He has so far run a robust campaign and extensive mobilisation across the length and breadth of the two sister local governments making up the federal constituency without any rancour or acrimony.
“It is on the strength of the above that we wish to categorically state as following: That Seun David Odofin properly resigned his appointment as stipulated by either the Party’s Constitution or the Electoral Act. 
“That Seun David Odofin was not only physically present at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja for the screening exercise but also presented himself for the process.
“That Seun Odofin was not SSA as purportedly claimed by the petitioners but Special Adviser (SA) on Administration and Legislative Compliance before he resigned as required by the law, to contest for House of Representatives, Ijesa North Federal Constituency under the platform of APC.
“That Seun Odofin participated in the two rounds of screenings as directed and organized by the leadership of the Party in the Federal Constituency. These screenings were held at High Chief Sola Ogunsanya, Risa of Iloko’s residence, Iloko Ijesa Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State and at Otunba Olajumoke Ogunkeyede’s (JMK) residence at Ilase Ijesa in Obokun local government area of Osun State.
“That these screening exercises were conducted by the APC leaders and stakeholders in Ijesa North Federal Constituency before Seun Odofin went for the final screening at APC National Secretariat, Abuja. That the petitioners failed to name those screening committee members who criminally issued clearance certificate to Seun Odofin.
“That the petitioners also failed to state the names of APC stakeholders in Ijesa North Federal Constituency who ordered or commissioned the petitioners to make their  petition public rather than making it an internal party affair. That in all, Seun David Odofin has consciously done everything regarding his ambition in line with the established laws and rules guiding the electoral process regarding the contest for the House of Representatives, Ijesa North Federal Constituency under the platform of All progressives Congress APC.
“In conclusion, we wish to appeal to all genuine party members across the federal constituency to be wary of the antics those enemies of the party who are known and unknown agents of the opposition and who had yielded themselves as tools to perpetrate the opposition in office. Together, we should tell them that enough is enough this time around.”