…We’re putting our house in order, says spokesperson

By Dapo Akinrefon & Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS — AGGRIEVED  members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Yaba area of Lagos State, yesterday, led a protest accusing the party chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, of allegedly imposing a chairmanship candidate in the council area. 

They accused a member of the party’s Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, Senator Anthony Adefuye of plans to impose his son, Adebayo Adefuye, as the APC candidate to contest the July Local Government election in the state. 

They also urged President Bola Tinubu to wade into the matter before it gets out of hand.

They argued that the candidate in question does not “reside in the Yaba LCDA”, doesn’t have the political experience and maturity for a “crucial grassroots post like local government chairmanship.”

The aggrieved party members said: “Where was Bayo Adefuye, when we were in the trenches, sacrificing our lives, combing the entire nooks and crannies of Lagos State, mobilising and campaigning in support of Asiwaju during the last presidential election?

“Daily, we would  risk our lives, putting our lives at stake roaming the streets, holding meetings upon meetings, in sleepless nights all in the effort to ensure that our great party the APC would emerge as victorious, only for some people to suddenly wake up with the unholy scheme of imposing a candidate who doesn’t belong into our midst.”

We’re putting our house in order

 —Spokesperson

When contacted, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo, said the party will resolve the issues amicably with any implosion.

Responding to allegations of impositions by aggrieved parties, Oladejo said: “There is no regret on the outcome of the primaries. The party has adhered strictly to the provisions of its constitution that recommend that we have a consensus or a direct or indirect primary.

“So, in the real sense of it, there were only just four local governments where we had consensus for the chairmanship. They were Ijede, Iba, Otto-Awori and Lekki. For all others, we had direct primaries, and maybe, Yaba and the Mainland, too. For all others, we had indirect primaries.   

“It was an open thing, delegates who doubled as executive members of the party at various government levels constituted the Electoral College and came to the secretariat to cast their votes, and the votes counted.

“It is not strange to have aspirants as it were to be dissatisfied. These are the issues that led to setting up the appeal committee, too. I do not want to pre-empt whatever the appeal committee will come out with.”

On alleged imposition by President Bola Tinubu, Oladejo said: “There is absolutely nothing to indicate that Mr President has a hand here. He is too busy to dabble in the local government elections in the state. That will be incorrect to say that President Tinubu has been involved in any way.”

On the alleged imposition of GAC members’ son on the people, the APC scribe said: “That is not to my knowledge. If the son of any GAC member is contesting, it must have been part of politics in Lagos. No law stops children of leaders from also actively participating in the democratic process, it’s not an aberration and not peculiar to Nigeria alone.

“We expect that the Appeal panel will look at the various issues, just like we had the appeal committee after screening and  able to correct some anomalies.”