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PoliticsLagos LG Poll: Gbajabiamila Faces Backlash From Constituents

By

 Augustine Adah

June 25, 2017

Less than one month to the conduct of the local government election in Lagos State, it appears the crisis that engulfed the Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), in the just conducted council poll primaries would linger for sometimes.

Recently, some   aggrieved members of the party in Surulere local government area took to Adelabu Street, protesting the choice of Sulaimon Yusuf for the position of Vice-Chairman of the local government in the July 22 local government election.

This is among various protests that characterised the conduct of the primaries across the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) since May 27.

Several protesters  in Surulere believe the emergence of Yusuf did not follow the due process as prescribed by the party rules. They attributed his choice to the handiwork of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader of House of Representatives who currently represents Surulere Federal Constituency1. Yusuf, they claimed did not participate in the primary and should not be handpicked by only one man who is supposed to be a leader of the party in the area.

Some of the youths carried placards with such inscriptions as’Why Sulaimon Yusuf? ‘Free Surulere from Femi Gbajabiamila’ , ‘Surulere, Wake Up To Fight For Your Rights.

The protesters marched to the secretariat of APC in the local government, removed the photograph of Gbajabiamila which was hanged on the wall and smashed it on the floor.
Speaking to journalists, the angry protesters  claimed that Yusuf is not a known face among those that contested for the last local government election primaries in the area. Some of the protesters promised to vote for candidates of other parties if the injustice is not redressed.

Speaking to Independent on the crisis,  Dotun Olaribigbe, popularly called Lobito, one of the chairmanship aspirant  said the impunity against Surulere people has been going on for a long time  and the people are not  prepared to continue with the practice.

He said, “We would redefine Surulere politics, now is time to end all form of impunity that has been going for some times.”

Olaribigbe who stated that he has no particular choice of who should be picked as candidate for the position of Vice-Chairman in the area, insisted that the choice must be among those that contested the primaries.

Also Afiz Kasamu another chairmanship aspirant said the people of Surulere which is a cosmopolitan local government in Lagos State are tired of imposition which has been going on in the area for a long time.
He stressed that what is happening is not part of level playing ground which is what APC stands for.

He said, “We expected that the choice of candidate for the position of Vice-Chairman would be done without impunity by giving everybody a level playing ground.”
Every effort made by  journalists for Hon. Ajao Sanni, chairman of APC in the local government to speak on the matter proved abortive as he told Independent that all the 57 Local Government Areas/ Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), have been warned against speaking to the press on anything that has to do with the conduct of local government election primaries until further notice.

Apart from Surulere, other local government areas have witnessed protests by members of the party who felt dissatisfied by the way the primary was conducted they described it as stage managed. In Ikeja local government area for example, some of the local government chairmanship aspirants accused the outgoing Sole Administrator of the council of manipulating the result of the primary election conducted in the area.

One of the aspirants who spoke Independent on the condition of anonymity said, “The Sole Administrator and his accomplices told the returning officer to merely write results in favour of their own candidates without conducting any primary election. This is not the change we promised the world, it’s sad that there is no integrity any longer in APC even at the grassroots.”

For more than two weeks after the conduct of the primary, security at the secretariat of the party along Acme road in Lagos was beefed up as several groups carrying play cards besieged the secretariat demanding for justice arising from the conduct of the election.

Though this is not the first time some people are disenchanted about the conduct of APC primaries in the state, but the spontaneous reactions that followed this year’s primary according to observers is an indication that the era of imposition and handpicking of candidates who has no support of the people is gradually giving way to a more democratic process.

When Independent sought the comment of some political leaders in the state they did not show interest in commenting on the matter, an indication that many of them are not be free of the accusation. Whether the party would party leadership would adequately respond to the negative signals is left to be seen. Speaking on the protest that marred the primaries at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Hon. Abiodun Salami the Assistant Publicity of APC in Lagos State, described those behind the exercise as non APC members because the party is a discipline party.

Speaking further on the matter, Salami stated that the party has a lay down procedure for complaints arising from any grievances which those who went on rampage at the stadium on May 27 did not exhaust before venting their angers
He declared that a committee would be constituted to look at the crisis and if any member is found guilty in the whole exercise would be discipline according to the party’s rule. But it is almost one month since the primary was conducted and it seems the committee is yet to make its finding on the matter public.

Efforts made to speak with  Gbajabiamila was also unsuccessful as text messages sent to his phone was not replied.

No need to argue with you go and conf where dey came from.Some one like Rotimi amechi how dos name sound

Don't mind dem they are not happy because no more free money to steal

Appointments under GEj

South East list (13 names)

1. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Coordinating minister of economy, the minister of finance

2. Bright Okogwu – DG Budget

3. Emeka Eze – DG BPP

4. Arunma Oteh – DG SEC

5. Oscar Onyema – DG NSE

6. Chike Obi – MD AMCON

7. Chinelu Onuoha – DG PENCOM

8. Godwin Emefiele – CBN Governor

9. Uche Orji – MD Sovereign Wealth Fund

10. Sunny Iroha – DG Housing Fund

11. Evelyn Oputa – MD Bank of Industry

12. Nnenna Orji – the chairman of Investments, Securities Tribunal

13. Pius Anyim – SGF

South East & South South list (37 names)

14. Anthony Anuforom – NIMET

15. Andrew Yakubu – NNPC

16. Patrick Apobolokemi – NIMASA

17. Chinebo Anohu Amazu – PENCOM

18. Chukwu Amuchi – FERMA

19. George Osahon – DPR

20. Evelyn Oputu – Bank of Industry

21. Ernest Nwanpa – Nigerian Content Dev. Agency

22. Dupe Atoki – Consumer Protection Agency

23. Eugene Juwah – NCC

24. Nnamdi Udoh – NAMA

25. Akiku Otu – NCAA

26. George Uriesi – FAAN

27. Chinere Kalu – NCATY

28. Paul Orhii – NAFDAC

29. G.N. Elemo – FIIRO

30. Oron Joshua Okpo – Maritime Academy of Nigeria

31. Seyi Sijuwade – Railway Corporation

32. Sally Mbanefoh – Nigerian Tourism Dev. Corporation

33. Bright Okogwu – Budget Office of the Federation

34. Godswill Obioma – NERDC

35. R.R. Orya – NEXIM

36. Joseph Odumodu – Standards Organisation of Nigeria

37. Emeka Nkem Mba – Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation

38. Longmas Wapmuk – Industrial Training Fund

39. Julius Okojie – National Universities Commission

40. N.S. Benebo – NESREA

41. Precious Gbenjo – MDG Office

42. Peter Chigozie – Surveyor general of the federation

43. Yemi Kale – Statistician general of the federation

44. Jonah Otunla – Accountant general of the federation

45. Samuel Yonongo Ukara – Auditor general of the federation

46. Mike Omeri – National Orientation Agency

47. Oluremi Oyo – News Agency of Nigeria (Oluremi Oyo was replaced by Ima Niboro from the South South)

48. David I. Adelugba – NEPC E/S

49. Olugbenga Kuye – NEPZA

50. Peter Godsday Orubebe – Niger Delta Ministry

President Buhari was under fire over his recent appointments and even accused of northernisation by the opposition and some Nigerian