Action Alliance requests that the 2023 general elections be canceled.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to establish a level playing field for the polls, prompting the Action Alliance (AA) to ask for the annulment of the most recent general elections.

The party also urged the electoral authority to arrange more voting sessions that would be welcomed by all parties involved in the election, particularly the opposition parties and Nigerians as a whole.

In a statement made available to media on Thursday, Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, the party’s national chairman, criticized Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the national chairman of INEC, for conducting elections that fell short of international standards.

Omoaje declared the most recent general elections the worst in Nigerian history and specifically faulted the INEC national chairman for the electoral body’s poor performance. He also called for their annulment.

He said that the party has already filed a lawsuit against INEC at the Elections Petition Tribunal and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to hold INEC accountable by ordering the electoral umpire to call off the poll and hold new ones.

He said that the party has been denied voting rights in every poll held by INEC this year, which is why he called for the elections to be called off in the name of fairness and equity.

In his own words, “Action Alliance, as a political party, has been in the media urging for public proactive approach to checkmate the authoritarian moves of Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Election Commission, since as early as mid-year 2022” (INEC). The party observed the chairman of INEC’s actions, particularly his obstinate propensity to defy court orders and judgments.

“Action Alliance frequently spoke at press conferences with representatives from worldwide media organizations to warn the public about the characteristics of the chief umpire’s planned treacherous actions. He developed such a diabolical bent and confidence that he was free to disregard court rulings whenever he wanted.

Mahmood Yakubu created an unheard-of illegal boldface method of defying a court order. This was demonstrated by the struggles Action Alliance had at Mahmood Yakubu’s hands.

Mahmood Yakubu collaborated with Kenneth Udeze, a former Action Alliance member, to create the appearance of a party split for reasons that are best known to Mahmood Yakubu. Yakubu went a step further and honored a decision by the FCT High Court to overturn a prior Court of Appeal ruling.

“Kenneth Udeze contacted the Court of Appeal in 2021 to ask if he had locus standi—the legal authority—to act on behalf of Action Alliance. In January 2022, the Appeal Court held that since Kenneth Udeze had been expelled from the Action Alliance party, he had forfeited all of his membership rights and was no longer authorized to speak or act on the party’s behalf. At the time of delivery, CTC from the Court of Appeals served this judgment to INEC.

Mahmood Yakubu accepted a subsequent ruling from the High Court of FCT as overturning an earlier superior judgment from the Court of Appeal in a treacherous move with Kenneth in March 2022.

He forced the commission to stop doing business with the party’s elected NEC. Then, each subsequent attempt to have INEC consider the absurdity of ranking a High Court judgment above that of the Court of Appeal has been turned down. As of the publication of this statement, Action Alliance had secured rulings from five High Courts and three Appeal Courts informing Yakubu and INEC that they could not recognize a non-member of a political party as the chairman of such party. He has continued to operate without consequence in the face of each judgment that has been rendered in Action Alliance’s favor and is directed at him.

“Action Alliance has petitioned the presidential election tribunal to annul the 2023 General Elections due to a flawed process that excluded Action Alliance participation because of these grounds. Candidate submissions made through the legitimate leadership to the umpire were never posted nor recognized. Despite the fact that two declaratory judgments explicitly ordered INEC to accept and upload the Action Alliance candidates for every position up for election in the general elections of 2023.

“Action Alliance is currently approaching the tribunal at various levels to seek remedy by annulling the elections and organizing another rounds, to enable the party to field its candidates,” he continued.