…Former presidential aide rejects allegation

The member representing Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency of Ekiti State in the House of Representatives, Kolawole Akinlayo, has renewed his challenge to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the constituency, Kunle Ibrahim.

He alleged that the former presidential aide failed to resign his appointment before participating in the party’s primary election.

Akinlayo, who has consistently questioned Ibrahim’s eligibility, on Tuesday released what he described as documentary evidence, including April and May 2026 salary payslips, to support his claim that Ibrahim remained on the Federal Government payroll while contesting the APC primary ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmaker alleged that Ibrahim, who served as Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on National Assembly Matters, failed to comply with the President’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in party primaries.

He also argued that Ibrahim’s participation in the May APC primary contravened Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which mandates political appointees to vacate their offices before contesting elective positions.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Akinlayo maintained that Ibrahim remained in office and continued to perform the functions of his appointment when the primary election was held.

But Ibrahim had earlier dismissed the allegation, insisting that he complied with both the Electoral Act and President Tinubu’s directive before joining the race.

“I resigned my appointment as SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters. This is indeed in compliance with the law and the directive of Mr President. Whoever wants to verify that can always cross-check at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Ibrahim said.

In the latest twist to the dispute, Akinlayo forwarded copies of Ibrahim’s April and May 2026 salary payslips, insisting that they contradicted the former presidential aide’s claim that he had resigned before the primary election.

The payslips, issued through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), showed that Ibrahim earned a gross monthly salary of N1,043,176.88 in both April and May 2026. After tax deductions of N171,567.14, his net monthly salary stood at N871,609.74 for each month.

According to Akinlayo, the salary records indicated that Ibrahim remained on the Federal Government payroll during the period leading to the APC primary.

“If he resigned in March, why did he collect salary in April? If he was paid in error in April, why again was he paid in May? We are talking about taxpayers’ money here in an economy where people are struggling to afford life’s basic necessities,” the lawmaker said.

He argued that President Tinubu’s directive required political appointees seeking elective offices to vacate their positions before participating in party primaries.

“Ibrahim ought to have vacated office in March 2026, making the salaries paid to him in April and May subject to public scrutiny,” he added.

President Tinubu had directed political appointees seeking elective offices in the 2027 general elections to resign before participating in party primaries to ensure compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026, and prevent the use of public office to gain political advantage.

Responding, Ibrahim’s Media Office dismissed Akinlayo’s claims as the reaction of a defeated aspirant unwilling to accept the outcome of the APC primary.

In a statement titled, “Setting the Record Straight: Why Akinlayo’s Desperate Allegations Against Hon. Ibrahim Olarewaju Are Doomed to Fail,” the media office insisted that Ibrahim resigned as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters with effect from March 31, 2026.

It maintained that the resignation was publicly reported and could be independently verified, noting that it was carried by The Nation on April 1, 2026, and further confirmed in an interview published by the Nigerian Tribune on April 26, 2026.

The statement faulted Akinlayo for taking the matter to the media instead of verifying the facts through official channels.

“Had Akinlayo been a serious contender rather than a purveyor of assumptions, he could have easily accessed the resignation letter through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” it said.

The media office also accused the lawmaker of attempting to tarnish Ibrahim’s reputation after failing to secure the APC ticket, insisting that no amount of “mudslinging” would invalidate the mandate he secured at the primary election.