OGUN 2027: STAKEHOLDERS URGE ADC SCREENING COMMITTEE TO DISQUALIFY JIMI LAWAL
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Concerned members of the African Democratic Congress from the Ogun East Senatorial District have submitted a petition to the party’s National Secretariat, calling for the disqualification of governorship aspirant Otunba Jimi Lawal over alleged corruption-related issues.
In the petition addressed to the Chairman of the ADC Governorship Screening Committee in Abuja on Sunday, the members urged the party leadership not to clear Lawal for the upcoming governorship primaries.
The petitioners — Olabisi Omolaso, Haruna Owolabi, Keshiro Daniel, Ezekiel Abidemi, Onamuyiwa Olumuyiwa, and Ibrahim Aliyat — argued that allowing an aspirant with ongoing legal challenges and integrity concerns to contest could harm the party’s chances in Ogun State.
According to a document dated May 17, 2026 and received at the party’s national headquarters on May 18, the petition referenced ongoing criminal proceedings against Lawal instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The petition stated that the ADC cannot present itself as a credible alternative while fielding a candidate facing allegations of corruption, money laundering, abuse of office, fraud, and financial misconduct.
It further noted that Lawal is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in Kaduna in Charge No. FHC/KD/16C/2025 alongside other defendants over alleged money laundering and unlawful movement of public funds.
The group also linked him to investigations surrounding the N10.8 billion Kaduna State CCTV Security Project, which is reportedly connected to fresh charges involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai and others.
They described the allegations as serious, especially because the project was meant for public security infrastructure, warning that any diversion or mismanagement of such funds raises ethical concerns about suitability for public office.
The petitioners warned that clearing Lawal could damage the ADC’s anti-corruption image, provide ammunition to opposition parties, weaken public trust, and portray the party as a haven for individuals facing corruption allegations.
They maintained that Nigerians deserve credible and transparent leadership, insisting that the party should prioritise integrity over individual ambition.
The group therefore demanded Lawal’s disqualification pending the outcome of all ongoing investigations and court cases, urging the party not to compromise its credibility or electoral prospects.
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