APC Members Vow To Resist Imposition Of Candidates In Ojokoro LCDA

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have vowed to resist what they described as impunity of their leaders to impose candidates on them ahead of the local government election.

The APC held its Councillor primaries for the local government poll across the state on Monday, but in Ojokoro LCDA, the primaries failed to hold in three wards because the members won’t allow what they called a ‘rape on democracy’ perpetrated by their leaders.

In Ward B in the council, the primary scheduled for 8 am on Atinuke Dosumu Street, Poposola, Abule Egba failed to commence until around 3pm when the electoral officers from the state council arrived.

Earlier before the time was the news that the chairman of the ward, Mr. Arowolo had run for cover after he allegedly collected the sum of N3 million from one of the aspirants, Hon Teju Oluwole Olawoye in a bid to impose him on the members and perfected the process to favour him.

When the electoral officers came and the people demanded that they should provide the result sheets where all agents of the aspirants would sign after the election, the reply they got was that they were not given.

This drew the anger of the crowd, who protested that on no ground would they allow an election to hold without result sheet.

The electoral officers later left without conducting the primaries.

They even failed to grant interview with pressmen on ground.

Some of the leaders of the ward who spoke with PM EXPRESS denounced the action of the ward chairman who they said was working with his vice, Tayo Adeleke and the LCDA chairman.

Dr Adegbuyi, a leader in the ward said that no election was held because there was no result sheet.

Other executives who confided in PM EXPRESS felt bad that Arowolo who they considered to be an elderly man could descend so low because of money.

“I think they deliberately did this to subvert the democracy process in the ward. They wanted to manipulate the process and declared Teju as the winner. If anybody is announced as the winner without proper election, I bet we will resist this. APC is in crisis if they can be doing this at the local government level. It is so sad. They cannot bring somebody that joined the party three months ago to contest for the councilor seat of the ward. This is an impunity that we won’t allow to stand.

“We saw their antics since morning. They allowed all members including the aged among us to stand here in the sun for the election they have predetermined the results. I will only advise party members to remain calm because we will see to the end of the matter with the authorities,” Dr Adegbuyi said.

To matter worse, Teju mobilised thugs to the venue of the election to ensure that the bid of enthroning him as the winner was perfected.

In Ward G and E, the primaries failed to hold because of the cases of impositions.

Olotu Emmanuel was the favoured candidate of the clique in the ward, while in Ward E, it was Odubela Temitope. The resistance from members in Ward B repeated itself in the two wards as members prevented the electoral officers from conducting what they called ‘Kangaroo primaries”.

PM EXPRESS’ investigations revealed that the Sole Administrator of Ojokoro LCDA, Hon. Adeleke Waliu Ipaye was so disappointed with the conducts and action of the ward chairmen of the affected zones.

It took him several hours to pacify all aggrieved aspirants that he would do everything within his power to ensure that justice was done.

He told the aspirants and the members that he would write a report of no election I the affected zone, adding that his recommendation would be that fresh primaries be conducted in those wards.