.as electoral c’ttee releases guidelines for Saturday’s primaries, assures of credible exercise
.Ojokoro aspirant, Sanusi meets critical stakeholders, unveils devt plans

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Ahead of the Saturday, May 10, primaries of All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State chapter, Chairman of Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, Tajudeen Olusi, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, among other leaders have appealed to aspirants and their supporters to embrace peace in-order to sustain the current unity, as well as achieve a seamless exercise in the interest of the party.

Recall the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, had slated July 12 for the conduct of chairmanship and councilor positions into the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs.

Meanwhile, the leaders, made the call on Wednesday, during the APC stakeholders’ meeting, held at the party’s Secretariat, Acme, Ogba.

Others in attendance include: the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, the Senator representing Lagos West District, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, former Deputy Governor, Olufemi Pedro, among others.

Insisting on rancour-free primaries, the leaders noted that the party leadership is seeking consensus in choosing the 57 council chairmanship candidates for the primaries, which will be conducted through the indirect polls at the party’s Secretariat.

While the councilor aspirants’ polls would be conducted across the wards of the 57 councils on the same say.

The APC electoral committee had last week cleared 432 chairmanship aspirants out of the 470 that submitted the nomination forms. The committee disclosed that 38 aspirants were disqualified or voluntarily withdrew from the race ahead of July 12 council polls.

In his address, Olusi charged aspirants to cooperate with the party leadership, saying, “We are here to advise you. Since the early days of our democracy, it has always been through consensus. With patience and support there will be a way out. That is why wisdom is applied in politics.”

He stressed that local government is the closest to the people hence, the aspirants and their supporters must abide by the party’s guidelines and advice of the leaders.

Hamzat, who represented the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appealed for cooperation with the electoral committee during and after the primaries, by a biding with all the guidelines as any erring aspirant and supporters would be adequately sanctioned.

Hamzat said, “Let’s do it the way we have been doing, it is going to be a consensus. We will apportion things to one another.”

The State chairman of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi said, “Consider yourselves as being privileged to have been chosen out of over 20 million Lagosians.”

While thanking the aspirants for giving support so far, Ojelabi added, “The exercise is going smoothly. We are moving forward.”

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of the party, saying “We are going from strength to strength. From five states, now look at it presently.”

“We have mandated the leadership of the party to go all out to achieve success. All eyes are on us. Mr. President, Bola Tinubu is watching what the party is doing. We must make him proud of us as a product of Lagos APC chapter. We will continue to go from strength to strength by putting all our personal interest aside and pursue the interest of the party.

“We must be tolerant of one other and work together for the common goal of the party. This is what makes any party strong and achieve success. We must engage all interest in-order to have resounding peace.”

The chairman of the Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala, SAN said the committee has assembled formidable team to ensure hitch-free exercise.

While giving the guidelines for the election, Ogala said there would be indirect primaries.

According to him, “The constitution recognizes direct, indirect and consensus primaries, but for this council primary, we are adopting indirect primaries, the electoral body who are the delegates have been constituted.

“For chairmanship, the designated venue is the party Secretariat in Ogba where all the aspirants will converge. The aspirants are expected to come with only one agent.”

While giving assurances for hitch-free election, he recalled that the committee came up with formidable team during the screening process. “There was no element of influence. I can say that categorically.”

He disclosed that the appeal committee had submitted its reports, adding that by Friday, the final list would be released and the polls would be held under tight security.

“We want you to go back home and go for consensus, so that at the end of the day, nobody should go home empty handed. It is doable, we are appealing to you.”

Ogala assured, “We will not let you down. Our presidency is at stake, our party image is at stake. So many states are trying to learn from us. We are going to be fair, just and thorough.”

Ojokoro LCDA

The leading chairmanship aspirant, Ojokoro Local Council Development Areas, LCDA, Mobolaji Sanusi has met with the leadership of the ruling APC, to acquaint them with his transformational plans in a bid to complement his consultations.

Sanusi’s meeting with the party leadership and ward leaders came on the heels of his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate for the forthcoming local council polls.

The chairmanship hopeful who was accorded a tumultuous welcome by party faithful who had awaited his presence at the meeting convened by the party chairman, Jelili Oseni, at the party secretariat, impressed on the leaders that his aspiration is hinged on his desire to institutionalize effective governance at the grassroots.

The former Managing Director of Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, added that he would prioritize provision and enhancement of basic social amenities such as: road infrastructure, primary healthcare and education facilities among others stating that these are the bedrock of a thriving local government.

Sanusi also stressed the importance of youth empowerment and regular community engagement, noting that he would introduce smart and 21st century skill acquisition programs, support for small businesses, and inclusive governance to ensure that all fairness and equal share of dividends of democracy to the nooks and crannies of Ojokoro.

According to Sanusi, “It’s with honest motive that I put myself forward to serve as your servant-leader in Ojokoro. I’ve lived a longer and better part of my life in this council area and I know what each community lacks.

“My record during my stint as the MD of LASAA speaks for itself. With your support, we will institutionalise effective governance in Ojokoro and ensure that our council area ranks high in terms of infrastructural development, provision of social amenities, youth and women empowerment, welfare, cultural promotion among others in the comity of council areas in the state and ultimately to complement.”

The erudite journalist and corporate legal consultant, was accompanied to the meeting by prominent apex leaders which included: Ipoola Omisore, Oluyomi Olaogun, Otunba Aremu Akindele, Adisa Owolabi and Dr. Idris Salako, among others, a move that lent further credence to his status as the party’s consensus candidate.