Former lawmaker, Senator Ayo Arise, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the outcome of the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election for Ekiti North Senatorial District, describing the exercise as fraudulent and undemocratic.
Arise, who polled 4,886 votes to finish second behind the declared winner, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, who secured 14,179 votes, is seeking to overturn the outcome of the primary through legal means.
Sources close to the former senator disclosed that he is determined to pursue the case to its conclusion and is prepared to commit substantial financial resources to ensure a favourable judgment.
According to an insider in Arise’s camp, the legal challenge is receiving the backing of some influential political figures in Ekiti State, with strategists reportedly drawing inspiration from the legal battle that nullified Senator Adedayo Adeyeye’s 2019 election victory.
Speaking earlier with journalists in Oye-Ekiti, shortly after the conduct of the primaries, Arise insisted that the APC primary failed to comply with the party’s guidelines and did not reflect the true wishes of the delegates.
He maintained that he won in most of the wards where the primary election was conducted, noting that records of the delegates’ votes were available to support his claims.
The former lawmaker described the process as lacking credibility and transparency, insisting that the declared outcome did not represent the will of party members who participated in the exercise.
