Before the state’s upcoming local government elections, a group of All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Lagos’ Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have urged President Bola Tinubu to form a panel to address the alleged injustices experienced by some candidates in the recently concluded party primaries for chairmanship and councillorship positions.
Party members have expressed discontent with the procedure and results of the primaries, which were held at the party’s state HQ on Acme Road. The protests have extended throughout Lagos.
Protesters claimed that election committee members and party leaders unfairly excluded other candidates by manipulating the process to favor hand-picked candidates.
Concerned APC Stakeholders in Eti-Osa East LCDA, a group, called on Tinubu to step in and form an inquiry panel in an open letter to the president that was made accessible to reporters on Thursday.
In order to right the perceived wrongs and restore internal party democracy, the group is calling for a probe into the alleged “electoral fraud” and “impunity” that polluted the primaries.
Many candidates are upset about the primaries’ conclusion, not because they lost legitimately but rather because the process was tainted and the public’s will was undermined. What was intended to be a democratic exercise in several local government areas throughout the state—most obviously in Eti-Osa East LCDA—became a planned display of partiality, dishonesty, and betrayal of our party’s core values.
An especially troubling example is the case of Hon. John Campos Ogundare, the current Chairman of Eti-Osa East LCDA. In a highly undemocratic way, he was denied the party’s chairmanship ticket in spite of his outstanding performance and the evident changes that were made under his direction, such as the restoration of security, environmental reforms, youth empowerment, and improved cooperation between the party and the government.
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It is documented that within the first six months of taking office, Hon. Campos Ogundare addressed the LCDA’s security issues head-on, restoring calm and tranquility to a region that had previously been riven by turmoil and dread.
There have been noticeable advancements, and the locals continue to support his people-centered initiatives. Therefore, it is both unreasonable and unfair for leaders who are self-centered and insensitive to deny such a man the chance to carry on his good deeds after he has established trust and collaboration, the letter partially stated.
In the cited letter, “A Call for Presidential Intervention In The Crisis Rocking APC In Lagos Arising from Electoral Malpractices & Injustice That Marred the just-concluded primaries of the party in The State for Forthcoming LG Elections,” the APC stakeholders stated that the party could not afford the internal conflict caused by the primaries, particularly in Eti-Osa, where the party lost the area’s Federal Constituency to the Labour Party in the general election of 2023.
The majority of the good people in the LCDA are furious about the injustice done to the _performing_ Executive Chairman of the council, who is the electorate’s favorite and is redefining governance in the community where you live. As we write this, sir, the APC in Eti-Osa East is split.
The letter went on to say, “Mr. President, electoral fraud is in direct opposition to your commitment to justice and fairness, so it would be detrimental for you to let this injustice continue.”
