By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Mr. AbdulMojeed Oloyede, Legal Aide to the Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Princess Semiat Abolanle Bada, has defended her eligibility to contest in the upcoming July 12 local government elections, stating that her candidacy is in full compliance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Oloyede, a legal practitioner, made the clarification on Tuesday during a press briefing held on the sidelines of the APC victory rally in Ikosi-Isheri. The event was organized to appreciate party supporters and leaders following Bada’s emergence as the party’s flagbearer.
Addressing concerns raised by a coalition of aggrieved aspirants who questioned Bada’s eligibility, Oloyede stated that the constitutional provisions being referenced do not apply to local government chairmanship positions.
“Some persons have deliberately misinterpreted the 1999 Constitution, claiming that Princess Bada is embarking on a third term,” he said. “But nowhere in the Constitution states that a local government chairman who completes a previous term is disqualified from running again.”
According to him, the Fourth Alteration No. 16 of the 1999 Constitution amended only Sections 137 and 182 — both of which apply exclusively to the offices of the President and Governor.
“Section 137(3) says a person who has been sworn in as President to complete another person’s term shall not be elected more than once. The same applies in Section 182 for governors,” he explained. “There is no mention of local government offices. So, relying on those sections to disqualify Bada is legally baseless.”
Oloyede also dismissed comparisons to the Agbado Oke-Odo case raised by the aggrieved aspirants, describing it as an attempt to mislead the public and discredit the party’s leadership.
“They falsely claimed that the incumbent chairman in Agbado Oke-Odo was disqualified over a similar situation. But the records show otherwise. He was screened and even scored the highest marks in the screening. The difference is that unlike Bada, he lost at the primaries.”
He said the party maintained consistency in its screening process and there was no double standard.
The legal aide urged critics to seek redress through the appropriate party organs, such as the appeal committee, instead of spreading misinformation and twisting the law to fit their narratives.
“As a legal practitioner, I cannot sit back and watch the Constitution be misrepresented. The 1999 Constitution is supreme. If anyone is truly aggrieved, the right thing is to follow due process, not to manipulate public opinion with false claims.”
Princess Bada is seeking re-election as Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA under the APC platform, having completed the tenure of a former chairman before being elected to her current term.