By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Hon. Olawande Adegeye, NDC and Hon. Seyi Ipinlaye |
LAGOS, NIGERIA — A major controversy has rocked the Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following conflicting claims over its legislative ticket for the 2027 general elections.
In a decisive move to quell mounting political anxiety, prominent party stakeholder Hon. Seyi Ipinlaye has officially debunked a circulating publication that claimed an aspirant named Azubuike had clinched the party's House of Representatives ticket. In a formal statement released on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and made available to News Peddler, Ipinlaye categorically clarified that Hon. Olawande Adegeye remains the only legitimate and legally recognized candidate for the constituency.
Addressing constituents under the banner of a "Public Assurance to the Good People of Amuwo Odofin," Ipinlaye urged party faithful and voters to completely disregard any parallel lists or victory declarations. He emphasized that modern digital tracking systems and recent legislative reforms have permanently eliminated arbitrary candidate swaps by party administrators.
Ipinlaye pointed directly to structural updates within Nigeria's electoral framework to invalidate the opposing claims:
“Party supremacy is no longer valid in candidate selection. Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022/2026 prohibits any party from changing or substituting a candidate whose name has been submitted after a valid primary, except in cases of death or voluntary withdrawal by the candidate himself.”
To provide full clarity, the statement broke down the explicit operational benchmarks that solidify Olawande’s position as the authentic flagbearer.
According to the official brief, the internal party process has already been finalized and logged on the regulatory side, leaving no room for administrative manipulation.
The statement further warned that internal party squabbles or unilateral press releases cannot substitute or overwrite a democratic process that was explicitly overseen by federal regulators.
“The primary conducted and monitored by INEC at 206 Park, where the mandate was given to Hon. Olawande, and the result duly uploaded on INEC’s portal, remains the lawful and only recognized outcome,” Ipinlaye asserted. “No publication, press release, or internal party decision can override the will of the people expressed at that primary and documented by INEC.”
Ipinlaye concluded his public address by reassuring residents that the legal defense team is fully prepared to protect the integrity of the vote against any backdoor adjustments:
“I therefore assure the good people of Amuwo Odofin: Your mandate given to Hon. Olawande is safe, secured, and protected by law. The Electoral Act has ended the era of impunity and substitution. We remain committed to defending this mandate through all legal and democratic means.”
When a reporter from News Peddlers reached out to Azubuike via phone to get his perspective on the legal objections raised against his purported victory, he declined to give an immediate explanation, offering only a brief response: "I'm in a meeting now, I will get back to you on this matter."