The leadership of the Action Alliance (AA) faction led by Chief Kenneth Udeze has questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged involvement of Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje, whom the commission’s published 2027 presidential list names as the party’s candidate, in the presidential campaign activities of another political party.

INEC’s final list of presidential candidates published in September, named Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje as the AA presidential candidate.

However, Joseph Oluwadare Fadojoe, backed by the Udeze-led faction, has challenged the commission’s position and is seeking recognition as the party’s candidate.

The Udeze faction said the alleged role of Omo-Aje in the SDP campaign had further heightened its concerns over INEC’s decision.

Meanwhile, the Udeze-led faction, in a statement signed by its National Chairman, accused Omo-Aje of simultaneously presenting himself as the presidential candidate of AA while allegedly serving as the South-West coordinator of the presidential campaign of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The faction described the situation as contradictory and called on INEC to explain how a person listed as the presidential candidate of one political party could allegedly be coordinating the campaign of another party’s presidential candidate.

 “How can a man be a presidential candidate of AA and, at the same time, be coordinating another party’s presidential campaign?” Udeze asked.

“This is a matter that Nigerians and the international community deserve to have explained. If the allegation is established, how can such an arrangement be reconciled with the obligations of a presidential candidate?”

The controversy came on the heels of ongoing dispute over the leadership of AA and which faction has authority to nominate the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

“The very person INEC is parading as the presidential candidate of Action Alliance is being alleged to be working for another political party. This raises serious questions about the basis upon which his name was retained on the INEC list,” the statement said.

The faction also questioned whether the alleged development amounted to anti-party activity, asking INEC and Nigerians to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the candidate’s political activities.

“Can a person genuinely claim the presidential ticket of Action Alliance while simultaneously coordinating the presidential campaign of the Social Democratic Party in the South-West?” Udeze further queried.

“We believe this is a question that should concern every Nigerian who is interested in the credibility and integrity of the 2027 electoral process”, he said.

The Udeze-led leadership further alleged that the development was evidence that Omo-Aje and those associated with his faction were being used to undermine the party.

“A man who cannot defend his own purported candidacy but is allegedly busy coordinating the campaign of another party cannot reasonably be presented to the public as the authentic candidate of Action Alliance,” the statement said.

“We therefore challenge INEC to explain this contradiction and to make its position clear to Nigerians,” it insisted.

The faction also accused INEC of failing to recognise what it described as the “authentic” leadership structure of AA, despite its claim that court decisions had affirmed Udeze as the party’s national chairman.

Previous court proceedings have been cited by the Udeze camp in support of its position. In January 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja was reported to have affirmed Udeze as AA’s national chairman in an appeal brought by Adekunle Rufai Omoaje.

More recent litigation and competing claims, however, indicate that disputes surrounding the party’s leadership and candidate nomination have continued.

The Udeze-led faction said its presidential primary produced Joseph Oluwadare Fadojoe, popularly known as Fadojoe, as its candidate.

“Our position remains that Mr. Joseph Oluwadare Fadojoe emerged from a legitimate presidential primary conducted by the recognised leadership of the Action Alliance under Chief Kenneth Udeze,” the statement said.

“We therefore demand that INEC publish and recognise Fadojoe as the presidential candidate of Action Alliance.”

The faction consequently called on INEC to immediately delist Omo-Aje from its list of AA presidential candidates and recognise Fadojoe instead.

“INEC must immediately delist Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje as the Action Alliance presidential candidate,” Udeze said.

“He cannot simultaneously be presented as our candidate while allegations persist that he is actively working for another party’s presidential campaign.”

The faction also appealed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, to address what it described as an embarrassing situation before the 2027 elections.

“Prof. Amupitan must save INEC from this public embarrassment. The electoral commission must be seen to be consistent, transparent and impartial in handling the competing claims before it,” Udeze said.

The demand comes weeks after a coalition of civil society organisations also called on INEC to recognise Fadojoe as AA’s presidential candidate, citing the Court of Appeal’s pronouncements concerning the party’s leadership.

The Udeze-led faction maintained that the dispute was not merely an internal party matter, arguing that the identity of AA’s candidate would have implications for the credibility of the 2027 election.

“The 2027 election cannot be credible if questions surrounding the nomination of candidates are not transparently addressed,” Udeze said.

“This is bigger than one individual or one faction. It concerns the integrity of the electoral process and the confidence Nigerians must have in the institutions conducting the election.”

The faction urged INEC to resolve the controversy and make its position known publicly.

“We are calling on INEC to do the right thing, examine all the relevant documents and judicial pronouncements, and ensure that the candidate of Action Alliance is the person duly nominated by the legitimate structure of the party,” the statement said.

The AA leadership also said it would continue to pursue available constitutional and legal avenues to defend what it described as the party’s legitimate structure and presidential nomination.

> “We will continue to use lawful and constitutional means to defend the integrity of Action Alliance and the mandate given by our members,” Udeze said.

“Our objective is not to create confusion but to ensure that the truth about the party’s leadership and presidential candidacy is properly established before Nigerians,” he added.