New Telegraph

Lagos APC primaries’ crisis: We had fair contest –Spokesman

Shortly after the local government election primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the offices of chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors on May 29, 2021, different groups have been trooping to the Secretariat of the party in Ikeja to register their complaints over what they term “imposition and manipulation of candidates.”

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had few weeks ago issued guidelinens for the local government elections in the state and gave Saturday July 24 for the elections against speculations that the election would not hold. While some groups in the APC are protesting against alleged imposition by the party, others insist that the primaries were not well conducted, or that the primaries were not held at all, thus calling for a repeat of the process. Protesters from Somolu Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday besieged the secretariat of the APC in the state to express their grievances against the list of candidates for chairman and vice chairman released by the party for the council area.

The protesters, who sang protest songs, displayed placards and wore caps and shirts of their preferred candidate, Bowale Sosimi. A former secretary of the party, Salaudeen Shehu, said, “The people of Somolu have decided that the only person they want as the council chairman is Bowale Sosunu. “Even the primaries did not hold in Somolu.

So, we want it to be rescheduled or they should declare the person that has the majority of members as the winner; that is Bowale Sosimi.” Another protester who declined to give his name said, “How is it possible for a winner to emerge when there was no contest? What we are clamouring for is that the party should declare Bowale as the chairmanship candidate of Somolu for the local government election. We have submitted petitions and I believe strongly that the people’s choice shall prevail.” Also in Ojodu LCDA, while a son of a stalwart of the party, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, David Odunmbaku was picked as the Chairmanship candidate of the party, the supporters of a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. James Odunmbaku are protesting that it should have been given to Alhaji Funmilayo Layeni.

Speaking with Saturday Telegraph in an interview, a resident of Amuwo Odofin Local Government area, Mr. Kingsley Nwanze said that there were fears by the supporters of the party’s Chairmanship candidate of the party in the area, Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu that his name could be substituted with that of Hon. Valentine Braimoh. Braimoh is the incumbent Chairman of the council. Nwanze who said that he is the spokesperson of the group stated that “there has been rumour laced with obvious action by the out-going Chairman of the council, Hon. Valentine Braimoh to substitute the name of Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu after the publication of the chairmanshio list by the party. “Anticipation from Hon. Valentine Braimoh is that his efforts will yield at the point of LASIEC publishing the names. “Knowing the peculiarities of the politics we play in this part of the world, we have been shouting that and we have been appealing that the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should not allow such devilish act to happen in Amuwo Odofin. “We know the consequences and the embarrassment it’s going to bring on our party considering the height of the popularity of Hon. Olorunrinu not just in Amuwo Odofin, but across Lagos State,” he said.

The Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Hon. Seye Oladejo, said in an interview with Saturday Telegraph that the party would keep the media informed if there would be any changes in the list of the candidates for the election. Oladejo emphasised that the constitution of the APC allows for consensus candidates and open primaries. “In places, where we were able to reach consensus on the candidates, we opted for that. We had a combination of both, we had consensus in some places and primaries in some places.

“You will agree with me that our democracy is still imperfect and even international democracy still remains largely imperfect. “We are aware of the drama in Capitol Hill in the United States of America, so everybody is still working towards perfection.

“Those who were able to benefit from an arrangement, where there were consensus would not agree with you that the process was unfair, and those who scaled through the primaries would not say that,” he said. Oladejo maintained that the party has a way of resolving its differences, adding that where there are differences, they will resolve them before elections.

He revealed that efforts were being made to reconcile all the aggrieved parties in the various local governments. “We operate a guideline for the primaries and it was never stated that those who have served first term would be automatically returned and there is also nothing in the APC constitution that states that once you do a term you must do second term.

“There is no automatic ticket for anybody. It is not in our constitution that people must do two terms. Getting second term is predicated on your performance in office and the decision of the party leaders, members and the general public,” he said. When asked if the APC would influence the outcome of the local government elections in the state as the ruling party, Oladejo said that the party, state government and LASIEC are different entities and that their roles are clearly stated. According to him, “We have no such things as influencing any decision or imposing our candidates on the people.

“The winners of the elections would be decided by popular votes and by the electorate in Lagos State. “We want to assure you that we will remain committed to the tenents of democracy and we assure you that it will the best contest. “We will market our candidates to the people and the good performances of our Governor since the past two years that he got on board will also count in the contest.

“It will be a positive referendum on his performance in the last two years and we are confident that we will win the polls.” He posited that what some people refer to as imposition is the fact that the party knows how to manage its issues. As Saturday July 24, when the local government elections would hold in the state draws nearer, the people of the metropolitan state are awaiting how the scenario that would eventually play out at the elections of their leaders in the grassroots.

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