Lagos LG polls: Aggrieved APC aspirants, Obasa trade words over imposition claims

Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos have rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s local government primary election, alleging that chairmanship candidates were imposed on them. Tunde Azeez was declared winner of the Agege chairmanship primary, securing the party ticket with […]

Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos have rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s local government primary election, alleging that chairmanship candidates were imposed on them.

Tunde Azeez was declared winner of the Agege chairmanship primary, securing the party ticket with 24 votes, while Abiodun Akinola clinched the Orile-Agege LCDA ticket with 20 votes.

However, other aspirants claimed the winners were imposed by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, in collaboration with some party leaders in the two councils.

On Tuesday, the aggrieved aspirants led a protest involving a large crowd, denouncing what they described as the imposition of candidates and insisting that the results did not reflect the will of party members.

Some protesters alleged that after failing to secure the party’s ticket for his son in Agege, Obasa allegedly imposed Azeez as a proxy candidate in Agege and Akinola in Orile-Agege. Protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, including “OBASA O TO GE” (Obasa, It is Enough!).

But leaders of the APC in Agege and Orile-Agege have dismissed the allegations, stating that the chairmanship and councillorship primaries were conducted fairly and transparently ahead of the July 12 local government elections.

Daily Trust observed that operatives of the Lagos Police Command mounted roadblocks on the routes leading to the APC state secretariat to maintain order as more protesters arrived to express dissatisfaction with the primary results.

In a communiqué issued after a meeting at the Agege Local Government secretariat, APC leaders in the two councils denied any wrongdoing. Signatories to the communiqué included Speaker Mudashiru Obasa; the lawmaker representing Agege 02 in the Lagos Assembly, Alhaji Jubril Kareem; House of Representatives member Hon. Dr Wale Ahmed; Special Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Afolabi Tajudeen; Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Hon. Afolabi Ayantayo; APC Apex Leader, Alhaji Safari Adaranijo; and the First Executive Chairman of Agege LG, Alhaji Genius Owolabi Dada, among others.

According to the communique, those alleging imposition had distanced themselves from the APC and local community affairs long before the primaries.