By Chukwudi Nweje, Lagos
Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward Congresses on Saturday, Lagos4Lagos, a group within the Lagos State chapter of the party, on Thursday, rejected the consensus arrangement for its ward executives approved by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
It described the GAC as being illegal and alien to the party and advised the body to render its services to Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu on how to develop the state and stop meddling in the affairs of the APC.
Convener of the group, Dr Abdul-Azez Olajide Adediran, said this at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday.
‘The party said that where it is possible, there should be a consensus. But for consensus to happen, there must be agreement among the three or four parties that expressed interest in the process. We are surprised to hear from a group that is not known to the constitution of the party giving directives to members of the party as against the directive of the national leadership of the party. The GAC should have a lot to do in its advisory role to the governor by telling him the state has a lot of robbery incidents in traffic congestion, the can even ask him why we can’t see his signature project going to three years of his administration. The should leave party affairs to the party,’ he said.
He also accused Governor Sanwo-Olu of trying to hijack the ward congress.
‘We have an electoral committee that will come from Abuja to conduct the ward congress. The three-man committee from Abuja came with 14,000 nomination forms for the ward congresses and 5,000 nomination forms for the delegates across the state. When they got here the state government hijacked these forms, the forms are at the governor’s office, our members have paid for the forms but are still waiting to be given, they cannot force us into the consensus? The highest decision-making body of the APC is the NEC, we don’t take directives from GAC that is not known to the party,’ he stated.
He said Lagos4Lagos is tired of the status quo, whereby candidates are imposed on the party and added that candidates should test their popularity to test in the field.
‘We want a change away from the status quo whereby candidates are imposed on the party and added that candidates should test their popularity to test in the field. Today, the only Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) councillor in Lagos State is Shola Thomas, representing Yaba, Iwaya Ward G. He is a Lagos4Lagos APC member, they tried to scheme him out and he told us that he wanted to test his popularity in the field. So, he obtained our permission to contest on the platform of the PDP, today he is a councillor because he is popular,’ he said.