A member of the House of Representatives representing Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido-Osi Federal Constituency of Ekiti State, Hon. Kolawole Akinlayo, on Tuesday released documentary evidence which he said showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Kunle Ibrahim, was still serving as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters when he contested the party’s primary election.
Akinlayo has consistently challenged Ibrahim’s emergence as the party’s candidate, alleging that the former presidential aide failed to comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in party primaries.
The lawmaker also argued that Ibrahim’s participation in the May APC primary contravened Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political appointees to resign before contesting elective positions.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Akinlayo maintained that Ibrahim remained in office and continued to perform the functions of his appointment when the primary election was conducted.
Akinlayo displayed copies of Ibrahim’s April and May 2026 salary payslips, insisting that the documents undermined 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), indicate that Ibrahim received a gross monthly salary of ₦1,043,176.88 in both April and May 2026. After tax deductions of ₦171,567.14, his net monthly salary stood at ₦871,609.74 for each month.
Akinlayo argued that the salary records showed Ibrahim remained on the Federal Government payroll during the period leading to the APC primary.
“If he resigned in March, why did he collect a 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,” Akinlayo said.
“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.
Responding to the allegations, Ibrahim’s Media Office dismissed Akinlayo’s claims as the reaction of a defeated aspirant unwilling to accept the outcome of the primary election.
In a statement titled, “Setting the Record Straight: Why Akinlayo’s Desperate Allegations Against Hon. Ibrahim Olarewaju Are Doomed to Fail,” the former presidential aide urged the lawmaker to accept defeat and move on.
The statement read in part: “The recent media theatrics by Kolawole Akinlayo, following his decisive defeat at the APC primary election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, represent nothing more than a desperate attempt to manipulate public perception after failing to secure the mandate of the people.
“It is unfortunate, though not surprising, that a sitting lawmaker would choose to resort to falsehoods and petty innuendo rather than accepting the verdict of his constituents.
“For the sake of clarity and to protect the integrity of the process, we must set the record straight: Hon. Ibrahim Olarewaju, a man of integrity and deep respect for the rule of law, was never in violation of any electoral provision. His resignation as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters became effective on March 31, 2026.”
The statement added that the resignation was publicly reported and could be independently verified, noting that it was “widely reported by The Nation on April 1, 2026, and further substantiated by his extensive interview with Nigerian Tribune on April 26, 2026.”
It further argued that Akinlayo could have confirmed the facts through official channels rather than making allegations in the media.
“Had Akinlayo been a serious contender rather than a purveyor of assumptions, he could have easily verified the facts by obtaining the resignation letter through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” the statement added.
The media office accused the lawmaker of attempting to tarnish Ibrahim’s reputation after failing to secure the party’s ticket.
It alleged that Akinlayo had chosen “the path of character assassination, attempting to discredit a candidacy that has received the overwhelming support of stakeholders, party delegates, and members.”
The statement also dismissed Akinlayo’s complaints about the conduct of the primary, arguing that his rejection by delegates across the constituency explained his post-election grievances.
“It is laughable that Akinlayo, who lost in all three local government areas within the constituency, now claims the election was fraught with irregularities. One must ask: if the process were truly flawed, why did he wait until he was soundly rejected by party members to lodge these complaints?
“No amount of mudslinging from a rejected politician will distract from the mandate he has rightfully earned,” the Ibrahim Media Office stated.
