Lagos APC members protest alleged plan to illegally substitute exco list

Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, on Friday, stormed the party secretariat to protest an alleged planned substitution of the exco list produced at the last LGA congress.

The aggrieved members from Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area, who earlier protested at Ifako-Ijaiye area, where APC elders and stakeholders from the Lagos West Senatorial District were meeting, returned to the party secretariat at Acme Road, and then later moved to the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Leading the protesters, Alakoso Fasesan-Ajanaku, an APC elder from the council, said they were protesting to intimate the party leadership of their grievances.

Mr Fasesan-Ajanaku said the group was interested in fostering unity in the party. “We are law abiding citizens, we do not want to take laws into our hands.

“We do not want violence or people going about expressing their displeasure in an unruly manner, that is why we are here to present our case to the leader of our party to help us settle it.”

In a pettition submitted at the APC Secretariat, Lagos Assembly and Governors’ Office, the group alleged plan by the Oshodi/Isolo LGA chairman, Kehinde Oloyede, to change the authentic exco list from the LGA.

They alleged move to replace the APC LGA Chairman, Wale Adelana, produced during the congress with Saheed Animashaun.

They said during the 2021 LGA election, Mr Oloyede, in connivance with then party chairman, replaced the party’s preferred vice chairmanship candidate, Ismail Badmus, with Modupe Aregbe-Badmus.

The group also complained that constitution of the present LGA cabinet did not reflect the spread of the entire local government structure, saying it was done without the input of party leaders in the council.

They pleaded with APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, the Lagos Assembly, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to ensure that the name of Adelana, who was submitted to the state chapter of the party was not tampered with.

On the constitution of LGA cabinet members, especially office of secretary to the LGA and supervisory councillors, the group urged party leadership to ensure that such office are shared among key leaders in the LGA.

They urged the party to ensure the authentic list of ward chairmen inaugurated by Tunde Balogun-led Caretaker Committee on September 3, 2021, should be allowed.

Meanwhile, addressing the protesters, Mr Ojelabi said he had not received any pettition from the group, asking them to bring their case forward so the party can find a way of addressing their grievances.

“All of you are members of our party. It is normal in politics for us to have issues, we will resolve it,” Mr Ojelabi said, promising to invite the leadership of the group and the accused for the party to look into the matter.

“You held a congress and the congress produced party officers. For me, I am working on the list handed over to me by the national secretariat in Abuja,” the chairman said.

At the Lagos Assembly, Victor Akande, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Pettition and LASIEC, commended the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.

Mr Akande promised that the house would look into their pettition, take a decision and get back to them.