A pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos APC Youth Vanguard, has faulted a social media post by Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, congratulating Hon. Gbenga Abiola over the Lagos State House of Assembly primary election for Agege Constituency I.

In a post on his X handle, that has now been deleted Ogra congratulated Abiola on what he described as his victory in the primary election.

Reacting to the post, the convener of the group, Comrade Gbenga Osolana, described the action as an attempt to subvert the will of the people under the guise of presidential influence.

Osolana cautioned the presidential aide against what he termed spreading fake news, noting that such actions could fuel disaffection and division among party members.

He said partisan actions driven by personal relationships were contrary to democratic principles and values, while urging President Tinubu to caution his aide against meddling in electoral matters.

According to the group convener: “This is someone whose aspiration was to be a councillor but at Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa’s pleasure became Agege Local Government Sole Administrator, later the council SLG and subsequently the Vice-Chairman, and now he has turned against his benefactor.”

He accused Abiola of shunning the party’s activities since his alleged aspiration to succeed Egunjobi as the council chairman.

“He has been conspicuously absent in all the party activities since last year including today when we had the presidential primary to elect President Bola Tinubu as our candidate.

“I want to appeal to President Tinubu to caution his Senior Special Assistant, O’tega Ogra, to respect himself and wean himself off peddling fake news in respect of the primary election in Agege Constituency 0I.

“Ogra cannot sacrifice the will of the people because of his friendship with Abiola. The people have spoken and their voices are loud and clear. They elected former Chairman of Agege Local Government, Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi.

“It is inappropriate for an aide to the President to attempt to change the narrative through a post on X, thereby fueling anger and hatred. Also, as a youth, Abiola has benefited from the benevolence of our leader, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who made him. His agitation is an affront to our leader, Rt Honourable Obasa and if not checked, could work against the interest of the youth in politics.

“President Tinubu is a democrat and would never support any anti-democratic move, and mutiny” he remarked.

Osolana further said that Ogra was in no position to know what happened at the poll from Aso Villa, adding that he was neither an electoral officer nor a participant in the election.

“This is someone with limited knowledge of local politics given that he was just a small fry
in the corporate affair department in BUA three years ago,” the statement read in part.