By Gilbert Ekezie
Following the news going round that there is tension in Amuwo Odofin Local Area, over who emerges as the authentic candidate of APC in the forthcoming Local Government election, incumbent Chairman of the Local Government, Engr. Valentine Buraimoh who is also seeking has said the development should note arises, as he remains the authentic candaidate of the party.
Buraimoh who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Abayomi Adejumo said there is no reason for the alarm being raised by individuals.
He said in Amuwo Odofin, the primaries were conducted and party faithfuls were to exercise their fundamental right to validate the consensus candidate as endorsed by the Apex Leaders of the party in Amuwo-Odofin as far back as the 24th of February, 2021.
According to him, the consensus which adopted him him as candidate, was officially communicated to the Party Chairman at the State level, Hon. Tunde Balogun and duly signed by the entire group that makes up the Apex Leadership of the party in
Amuwo-Odofin.
Buraimoh explained that on the 29th of May, all votes casted were duly taken to the party Secretariat on 3rd avenue FESTAC Town, Lagos for onward movement to the party Secretariat at ACME Road, Ikeja.
“Members of the party in Amuwo-Odofin, regardless of the sharp practices of the returning officer to doctor the result and nullify the consensus arrangements of the leaders, patiently awaited the result of the adoption exercise, which was adjudged to be free and fair, only to be jolted by the rude shock that a candidate amongst the aspirants had already been cleared for nomination as Chairmanship candidate.”
According to him the development irked the Apex body at the local government level, wondering why such a decision would be taken without duly consulting leaders at the grassroots. “It would be recalled that one of the prerequisites for the emergence of a candidate as mentioned by the National leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu includes; the consensus decision of the leaders. Morrisome was the disclaimer sent to the State party Secretariat by the colleagues of the Returning Officer, disassociating themselves from the process. Their prayers was that the said woman suddenly played out her game plan by disappearing with the result document.”
Buraimoh said the masterstroke on the act of upturning the consensus candidate in favour of Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu was to quickly through any means whatsoever, procure the LASIEC nomination form and subsequently sponsor a publication on the pages of the newspapers without the result of the primaries being published. “How come a candidate be nominated without the result of the primaries or consensus nomination by leaders? It is now obvious that the Apex leaders of the party in Amuwo-Odofin was outplayed.”
He said in their wisdom the Apex leaders of APC decided to challenge the pronouncement, so as to discourage future occurrences amongst member who would want to engage such route belittling the important role of the leadership of the party at the grassroots. “Thereafter, the leaders took their case to the party executives and the electoral committee and finally to the National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, requesting to know if the party didn’t recognize them as leaders representing the party at the grassroots.
“The case, thus, was a classic duel between the Apex leaders at the local government and its consensus decision against the promoters of a mysterious nomination.
The Council Chairman said Amuwo-Odofin substitution of names of aspirants is an insinuation that is unfounded and designed to generate sympathy of the unsuspecting residence, while trying to justify an attempt to circumvent the approved process of nomination by the party leadership.
