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Tag: Lagos APC

  • Lagos APC names Hamzat as Sanwo-Olu’s running mate

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday unveiled former Works Commissioner Obafemi Hamzat as running mate to its governorship candidate Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Describing the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket as a “super team,” state chairman Tunde Balogun described them as the pride of the state, adding that they would jointly and harmoniously work for the interest of the state.

    At a brief ceremony at the party secretariat along Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Balogun presented Hamzat, a technocrat-turned politician, to reporters, amid cheers by party leaders. The event was witnessed by Deputy Chairman Sunny Ajose, Vice Chairman (East District) Kaoli Olusanya, Secretary Dr. Wale Ahmed and Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe.

    The deputy governorship candidate, who holds a doctorate degree in Engineering, was until recently, Special Adviser to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

    Balogun said: “The highest decision making body of the APC in Lagos State and all the stakeholders have endorsed Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat as running mate to our governorship candidate Babjide Sanwo-Olu.

    “After the endorsement, it is important for me to publicly and officially present Dr.Hamzat as running mate to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, our governorship candidate for the 2019 election. It is my delight and pleasure to present Dr. Hamzat.”

    Hailing the decision of the party leadership, Sanwo-Olu said: “It is heart warming and gratifying that the party has endorsed Dr. Hamzat as my running mate.”

    He described him as his “friend and brother” for two decades, adding that he is a man of intellect, knowledge and integrity.

    Sanwo-Olu stressed: “He is an ally, a confidant. Together, we will take Lagos to a greater height. He is a graduate from the University of Ibadan and he has worked in national and multi-national organisations in United States, Oando; and he has served as commissioner for science and technology, and works and infrastructure. He is a thorough technocrat and a politician. He has worked in the private sector; a fine gentlemen. Lagos will be better for it with him as my running mate.”

    Hamzat thanked Samwo-Olu and the party leadership for bestowing the honour on him, saying he is extremely gratified by their decision.

    Waxing philosophical, he said while human beings may have intentions, it is only God who can allow them to come to fruition. He promised to work for a better Lagos as running mate to the flag bearer.

    Hamzat said: “Lagos is dear to all of us. The survival of the black nations in the world revolves around Nigeria and Lagos is critical to Nigeria. The world is a global village. What is done in Lagos affects the world.”

    The running mate said Sanwo-Olu is fit to be governor, stressing that he is a man of integrity, capability and experience required for the job.

    He added: “I feel a sense of responsibility and honour to have been selected. We have the same chemistry. We understand the geography of Lagos. Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and myself understand what it takes to cook what Lagos will eat. We will take Lagos to the next level.

  • Lagos guber primaries: NWC cancels election, says it did not hold

    ***says primaries holds anytime from now
    ***Lagos chair says election held, credible
    ***women supporters of Ambode says no election in Shomou/Bariga

     

    The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Working Committee, NWC, Governorship Primaries Panel for Lagos has cancelled the primaries that was held across the state on Tuesday saying election did not hold.

    Chairman of the panel, Mr. Clement Ebri in company of other members of the panel disclosed this while addressing journalists at Protea Hotel on Tuesday on its preparation for the election. He addressed the press at 4.30p.m.

    According to him, the panel members only completed the sorting out of the materials for the election around 4p.m on Tuesday because the information requested from the two parties to the election were not supplied until around 3.30p.m.

    And that they are ready to move to the field to commence the election as they just finished sorting out the material because the Lagos chairman of the party only supplied important documents the panel requested for only an before the press briefing.

    He said the panel held meeting with representatives of the two contestants by 8a.m. on Tuesday where they were asked to submit some important information and documents to enable the panel do proper planning which were only submitted fully by chairman of the party, Alhaji Tunde Balogun about an hour before the briefing.

    Due to the political tension in the state, we have decided to be very careful and methodical with the process. As party men, peace is more important to us than victory. We are interested in the process that will be celebrated by both parties.

    “And that is what we have done. We are ready to go to the field and execute this. And we aim to do it in a clinical version because Lagos is very important to us and it is the flagship for the party.

    “In the next few minutes I will contact the national headquarters and inform them that we are done with the preparatory process. It takes a lot of work for the main show to take place.

    “We are ready to give the state the most credible election. We will contact the national headquarters on the timing for the release of materials. It is not our fault that this exercise took this long. In some states, primary were moved to Thursday.

    “We were waiting for the party chairman to provide certain information that will enable us post people to the wards. We have two aspirants and we needed to be fair to both parties. The information we demanded for came in about an hour ago. And we had to struggle this period to balance the equation.

    “Now that we are ready, we will contact the national headquarters on the situation and the right time would be announced.

    “We have five persons from the local organising committee and four for each ward. They will all go out to ensure the primary is conducted. We all understand the terrain in the state especially as it concerns the traffic situation. So, the materials are available now and ready for deployment.

    “The national secretariat advised us to use ballot papers and we came into Lagos with thousands of them. But during the stakeholders meeting, it became obvious that the state chapter of the party wasn’t ready for such primary. They claimed that there was no time to educate the members and others. And based on the submission made at the stakeholders meeting, some changes were made.

    “And we were advised to conduct the open ballot in a manner that would be objective to all parties. And that is one of the adjustment we made to accommodate views of the stakeholders. For us, the stage is set and the primary should commence any moment from now.

    “We had a section with representatives of both aspirants here at about 8 am. And we asked that they bring names of their representatives that would be used for the exercise. But the names didn’t arrive early from both parties.

    “We will contact the national headquarter as to the timing and release of the election materials; the materials are here, they are in impeccable condition and we can not do anything outside what we were instructed to do by the national headquarter, we are ready, the state is set, election resume anytime from now,” Ebri said.

    Addressing journalists earlier at the same venue, Lagos state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Tunde Balogun said the governorship primary election that took place through out the state yesterday was free, fair and devoid of violence and therefore credible.

    He said the agents of the two parties were all present at the different wards where the election took place and that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and election observers also witnessed the election at the different venues.

    “The election took place simultaneously in all the 245 wards. Some of our members were visible in the local governments, for example our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was at Ikeja, his own ward.

    “He took part in the election and we saw the results. The results have been signed by the agents of the two aspirants. Those result were credible because the INEC too were there and they all signed. We were all witnesses to the conduct of the election. There were no violence, no chaos, it was free , fair and transparent. That’s what I am saying.”

    Asked whether any member of the NWC panel members were there, he said ‘’What I know is that I did not go round the wards. The venue I went to I saw some observers apart from the agents and INEC. They were publicly conducted, constitutionally done and I think we will leave the rest for the people and the press . That is why we have to wait for the committee charged with the responsibility to announce the results. We are not to announce the results.

    Responding to the question on whether he was satisfied, he said: ‘’ I surely am satisfied for the fact that the conduct of the election were seamless, free, no chaos, no violence and people conducted themselves well.

    Read Also: Imo primaries: APC disbands Gulak panel – Oshiomhole

    Some APC women from Shomolu/Bariga who stormed the Protea Hotel on Tuesday complained that they were not allowed to vote in their wards because they are known supporters of Governor Ambode.

    Speaking on behalf of the women who chartered taxis to the place, Oluwabunmi Adegbola from Ward J in Shomolu/Bariga accused the local government chairman and their representative at the state House of Assembly of using armed thugs to harrass known Ambode supporters, threatening to kill them and not allowing them to vote.

    “There was no election in Shomolu/Bariga, there was no accreditation and no voting, they were going about with thugs wielding dangerous weapons and threatening that they will kill us that are known supporters of Ambode, there were even gun shots,” she alleged.

  • Lagos APC: Tinubu insists on Sanwo-Olu for ticket

    •Meeting with Buhari ‘fruitful’

    •How party ’ll pick candidate

    •Panel promises credible election

    All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said last night that his position on the candidates battling for the party’s governorship ticket remains.

    Tinubu’s media adviser Tunde Rahman said last night in a statement on Tinubu’s meeting with the President in Abuja:

    “Asiwaju Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande were invited by President Buhari and it turned out to be a good and productive meeting. Asiwaju was quite pleased to have conferred with the President who has always shown himself to be a committed party member and a true democrat.

    “Just like the President, he is looking forward to a good and credible primary that is peaceful and free of rancor. As previously stated, Asiwaju plans to vote in this primary and his position regarding the relative merits of the candidates remains unchanged.”

    In the race are incumbent Akinwunmi Ambode and former Commissioner Jide Sanwo-Olu. The primary election is today.

    Asiwaju said of his choice in a statement on Monday: “I am encouraged by the presence of a candidate in this primary, who has served the state in senior positions in my administration, the Fashola administration and even in the current one. While possessing a wealth of experience and exposure, he is a young man endowed with superlative vision and commitment.

    “Most importantly, he understands the importance of the blueprint for development. He esteems it as a reliable and well-conceived vehicle for the future development of the state. He also knows the value of reaching out and working with others in order to maximise development and provide people the best leadership possible. With people like him at the helm, the state will write the proper history for itself.”

    In  377 wards across 20 local governments, members of the APC will vote today.

    Every card-carrying member of the party is eligible.

    There will be no ballot box and ballot paper. Party members will queue behind the posters of their preferred aspirant.

    The mode of the primary is “open direct primary”, which involves open and physical counting of members on queue behind the posters of their chosen aspirants.

    They will be accredited by 9a.m. Election will take place by 12 noon. Members will show their APC Identification Card. No white slip will be accepted,  Chairman Tunde Balogun said yesterday.

    Posters of the two aspirants will be held by their agents. After accreditation, party members will queue behind them.

    “They will be counted on the queue and recorded. After that, voting ends. The agents of aspirants will sign. Then, the results will be taken to the local governments, the final collation will be done at the state level,” Balogun told The Nation in an interview.

    The chairman urged members to troop out to participate in the exercise.

    He said the shadow poll will be very transparent and peaceful across the wards, urging members to maintain decorum as they participate in the exercise.”

    Ambode is campaigning on continuity. Sanwo-Olu has promised an all-inclusve government –  if elected.

    Chairman of the electoral panel former Cross River State Governor Clemant Ebri attributed logistics challenge to the shift of the poll from Monday till today.

    He told Ambode when he visited the Government House in Alausa: “I also like to apologise for the delay; it had to be postponed as a result of logistics in Lagos, Imo and some other states because of the pressure and work load from the secretariat and other developments that have taken place.”

    Raising the stakes on the shadow election, Ebri said: “Lagos is more like a decider and like they say, when Lagos sneezes the rest of the country catches cold.

    “So, that is why we are very careful about what we are doing and the National Chairman asked me to send his best wishes to you and ask us to come and do the right thing to the satisfaction of all members.

    “Moreso, the President of this country stands for transparency and detests corruption and, a situation where no one feels manipulated.

    “The process we are laying out is such that will ensure and guarantee transparency and credibility. We have people of integrity in this panel.

    Other members of the panel are: Alhaji Ahmed Mahmud Gumel as secretary; Mr Nze Chidi Duru; Chief Clever Egbeji, Sen. Clever Ikisikpo and Ambassador Jerry Ugokwe.

    On the integrity of the members, Ebri said: “These are not rookies in politics; they are people who have been tested. You can see senators, former governors, former deputy governor, former member of the House of Representatives; so, this is a star-studded team.

    “I can assure you that we have all the experience that you want and you can think about to conduct this exercise. We assure you of our sincerity and transparency and we seek your cooperation in providing a level-playing field.’

    Ambode replied:  “I receive this election team as being acceptable and credible to me enough to discharge their civic responsibility to the best of their abilities and to also say that whatever it is that is the outcome of the primaries, your presence has also shown that this will be credible and this will be acceptable to me.”

    “So, it is very clear to me, all I seek is credible primaries, transparent primaries and level playing ground that we will all be proud of at the end of the day for the outcome,” the governor said, adding:

    “There were issues that we have raised that we are also trying to correct.

    “The bottom line is this, we are family, we must not go into the elections divided because this is the very first time that our party is controlling the centre and also the state; that is what I want us to continue.

    “The issues that I raised have been put in form of a letter which I will pass to the chairman and I believe the committee will look into it judiciously.

    “And also I welcome the stakeholders meeting which will allow you feel the pulse of what is going on in the state.”

    The panel’s members attended a stakeholders meeting at the Lagos State APC secretariat in Ogba last night to perfect the planning for the election.

     

  • Lagos APC endorses Sanwo-Olu

    The prime movers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday endorsed Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu for the party’s governorship primary which has now been rescheduled for tomorrow across the state.

    They also resolved to mobilise party members to vote for him during the direct primary across 377 wards in the 20 local government areas in the state.

    The endorsement by the Gubernatorial Advisory Council (GAC) came on the heels of the withdrawal of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat from the primary for Sanwo-Olu and a similar expression of support for the leading aspirant by 36 members of the State House of Assembly.

    The battle  for the party ticket will now be a straight  fight between Sanwo-Olu and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who vowed to press ahead with his aspiration for a second term, yesterday.

    The Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) said the governor is capable of winning the primary on his merit.

    The Gubernatorial Advisory Council (GAC) which is the highest decision making organ in Lagos APC  took the decision to endorse Sanwo-Olu at the party secretariat on  Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, yesterday.

    Tension rose as Ambode’s supporters stormed the venue of the meeting, chanting anti-party slogans, to the consternation of party elders and leaders, including Deputy Governor Idiat Adebule, the party chairman, Tunde Balogun, the secretary, Dr. Wale Ahmed, the Assistant Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Salami, Senator Tony Adefuye, Prof. Tunde Samuel, Chief Alabi Macfoy, Prince Murphy Adetoro, Prince Sunny Ajose, Dr. Abayomi Finnih, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, Chief Raheem Daramola, and Cardinal James Odunmbaku.

    Although party members had waited anxiously for Asiwaju Tinubu, who was expected to address the crowd on the preparations for the shadow election, they later dispersed after Senator Adefuye spoke on the collective resolutions of the stakeholders on the primary.

    The announcement sparked wild jubilation by Sanwo-Olu’s supporters who gathered at the venue of the meeting.

    Neither Sanwo-olu nor Ambode was present at the meeting.

    But before the arrival of the GAC members, supporters of  both aspirants  had engaged in a show of strength, singing, dancing and praising  of their men.

    The Assistant Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Salami had to appeal severally to them to desist from abusive songs as all of them are members of the same family.

    Hamzat steps down, adopts Sanwo-Olu

    One of the three contestants for the APC governorship ticket in Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat yesterday withdrew from the race for Sanwo-Olu.

    Hamzat who drove to Sanwo-Olu’s Ikoyi residence to personally break the news, described him as a man of integrity, great humility and extraordinary intelligence.

    He recalled how both of them worked closely with Tinubu during his tenure as governor, his successor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Vice President Osinbajo.

    Hamzat said: “After due consultations with my numerous supporters and in deference to the wise counsel of those I consider my political mentors, I have resolved to step down from the governorship race in Lagos on the platform of our party and, instead, poll resources together with my brother and friend, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    “So, my supporters are hereby directed to vote for Sanwo-Olu to emerge the candidate of the APC in the primary scheduled for tomorrow across the state.”

    He added: “In seeking APC’s ticket then, we were acutely aware of the enormous historic burden power imposes in a unique environment like Lagos. We were conscious of the fact that real progress is defined only by balancing growth and development. While we must innovate, we do not have to discard systems or processes that are working.

    “To keep team spirit alive, we are aware that we must always seek to mobilise the generality of our party members behind a common purpose, to deliver the APC manifesto.”

    Hamzat said the greatest asset of the APC  is not only the legitimate power given to the political family by Lagosians since 1999, but the  close-knit brotherhood, toughened by past adversity of weathering the storm of opposition, the collective endurance of federal persecution and the passion and dedication of members to always ensure victory on election day.

    The former aspirant, who lost the ticket to Ambode in 2015, emphasised that “the loyalty of our party members should never ever be taken for granted.”

    Reflecting on the direct primary, which has heralded the inevitability of a clash of interests and perspectives, Hamzat said the way forward was for like-minds to close ranks and pool resources together, forge a formidable front and advance the ideas that can serve the larger interest of party members.

    “If great milestones were recorded under the Fashola administration, I believe it was because there was a fidelity to the path already charted by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. It consists of a clear roadmap that ensured that from the sorry status of almost a failed state in 1999, the Lagos Asiwaju Tinubu bequeathed in 2007 was a very healthy state with vastly improved social infrastructure. It was a worthy legacy Fashola defended and took to great height for eight years he was governor of Lagos,” he said.

    Thanking Hamzat for endorsing him, Sanwo-Olu with whom were his wife, Ibijoke reflected on their involvement in Lagos governance over the years and said he was indeed a good friend, compatriot and comrade in progress.

    The Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO) also lauded Hamzat for his “show of sportsmanship to our common cause.”

    36 Lagos lawmakers adopt Sanwo-Olu

    As Hamzat was announcing his withdrawal from the race, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly gathered inside the Lateef Jakande auditorium of the assembly to also adopt Sanwo-Olu as their candidate in the primary.

    Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Princess Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, said 36 of the 40 members of the assembly who attended the meeting took the decision to support Sanwo-Olu.

    Among them were the two lawmakers from Epe – Segun Olulade and Abiodun Tobun.

    There was no dissension, she said.

    The lawmakers stated that they were in agreement with the leadership of the party and the GAC on Sanwo-Olu’s adoption.

    Ambode group says it’s undemocratic to ask him to step down

    The Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) yesterday faulted media reports purportedly quoting GAC asking the governor to withdraw his second term bid.

    The group said such a directive was inimical to the democracy which the party preaches.

    Reacting to the endorsement of Mr. Sanwo-Olu by the GAC and shift of the primary from today to tomorrow, the Director General of AMSG, Mr. Hakeem Sulaimon said the sudden turn of events does not augur well for democracy and unity of the party.

    His words:”I don’t think the GAC would have done such a thing as represented by Senator Anthony Adefuye, because a few days ago, the GAC came out to say that they have resolved that the Governor will not be granted the same privilege granted fellow governors in other States and that every aspirant should go for the primaries.

    “They (GAC members) were the ones who equally said before now that why was the Governor afraid of the primary; and if they said why was the Governor afraid of the primary and the Governor has now told them that okay, I am ready for the primary, the next question we should ask is why are they afraid of going for the primary?

    “The party said we are in a democracy and all the three aspirants should run, now they have shifted ground and they are asking the Governor to step down for another aspirant, why are they saying so if they are preaching about democracy?

    “Giving this development, we are alerting Lagosians that having seen the turnout of party faithful in the meeting that the party called today and the supporters of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode who had about 87 per cent of the crowd that was there, they have now all of a sudden postponed the primary that we are prepared for. We hope they are not trying to do anything that would create problem in this peace-loving State.”

    Sulaimon also said the governor’s campaign is on course as he continues to receive “overwhelming support from several quarters.”

    He said: “what truly constitutes the structure of the party is the ward and of course the LGA. Beyond the ward and the LGA, we also have the Councillors because we have 377 of the creation of Lagos State Councillors; we have 377 of the creation of Lagos State ward chairmen and so on.

    “But again, just this morning, we had an assembly of over 237 Councillors here and at the end of the day, in giving the vote of thanks, one of them stood up to say they were now convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the only person that would work for their interest and that they have realized that the most endangered political class are the councillors and that they would ensure that they work for the Governor in their respective wards and they have assured us that we would get victory.”

    Lagos, Imo primaries now for tomorrow

    National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday announced that the governorship primaries of the party in Lagos and Imo will now take place tomorrow and not today again as formerly scheduled.

    Oshiomhole who spoke while inaugurating the committees for the various states governorship primaries challenged members of the various committees conducting the governorship primaries not to yield to pressure from any quarter, but to do their best to help the party improve internal democracy in the country.

    He said: “We have decided to postpone the election in Lagos to Monday. Even though it is a public holiday, there is nothing in the law that says we cannot conduct our party affairs during public holidays.

    “So, Lagos and Imo States, for now, the exercise will take place on Monday.

    “We are sure that we will be able to rectify logistic challenges between now and end of tomorrow. For those going to those States, please take note.

    “The secretariat will get to the committees through the chairmen, the documents and all the materials you need – be it ballot papers, result sheets that you will use for the election.

    “You are likely to come under pressure because we are in an environment in which nobody concedes defeat and sometimes, those who win are not gracious enough to recognize that it does not have to be winner takes all.

    “In genuine democracy, everybody is a winner because if you govern well, you govern for the good of the people; everybody will be better off.

    “The primary purpose of power is to use it to deliver on public welfare and public good. So, I plead with you to do your very best to try to strike a balance because we have all promised to do justice to all members of the party. So, do your very best so that at the end of the day, you will help us to deepen internal democracy.

    “So, stepping out tomorrow to conduct elections, you have a duty to sustain the core values of the APC which is to ensure that we conduct transparent primaries. Our constitution which is the basis of the contract between members of the APC to vie for couple of offices and our National Executive Committee is adhered to.

    “We have decided to activate two of the options in our constitutions (direct and indirect). We have worked hard to provide some of the preconditions without which we can’t service internal democracy. As we speak, we have our membership register which has been distributed to the 36 states.

    “I believe that we have compelling reasons to conduct credible primaries across the country. The guidelines have been well articulated and we expect the Chairmen to provide leadership in all states where they have been deployed to.”

    Oshiomhole also announced that 177 aspirants bought nomination forms to contest the 29 vacancies available on the platform, saying “We have only 29 vacancies for governors and to fill these 29 vacancies, we have distinguished Nigerians, men and women, about 177 that applied.

    “This does not suggest any unusual level of political or executive unemployment. It just points to the level of interest, commitment, passion and above all the confidence that people have in the APC.

    Speaking on behalf of the convention committee, Senator Ajimobi pledged that the party will lay a solid foundation for the party’s victory in 2019.

    The  committee chairmen are: Prof Osahremen Osunbor  (Kebbi ), Mr. Clement Ebri (Lagos), Demola Seriki (Oyo), David Iyoha (Abia), Senator Domingo Obande (Ebonyi), Prof Moses Momoh ( Enugu), Alhaji Ahmed Gulak (Imo) , Chief Mutiu Are (Benue), Matthew Iduyekheu (Kaduna), Yamah Momoh (Akwa Ibom), Gen. Lawrence Onoja (Delta), Senator Ahmed Yerima (Cross River), Col. Lawal Jafaru Isa (Rivers).

    Others are Ismail Ahmed (Nasarawa), Lucky Imasuen (Niger), Senator Obadara (Plateau), Yerima Giade (Adamawa), Prof Ahmed Bakassi (Bauchi), Abu Bawaro (Gombe), Senator Emmanuel Ochaja (Taraba), Umar  Lawal Kareto (Yobe) Ahmed El-Marzuq (Borno), Pius Odubu (Kano), Isa Adamu (Katsina), Suleiman Abubakar (Sokoto), Aminu  Asinachi (Zamfara), Senator Abubakar Sadiq (Jigawa), and Mohammed Idabawa (Ogun).

  • Lagos APC: 36 lawmakers adopt Sanwo-olu, Hamzat steps down

    Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have adopted Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the candidate they will support in the coming governorship primaries of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    According to a statement by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Honourable (Princess) Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, the decision was taken at a Parliamentary meeting of the lawmakers which took place at Lateef Jakande auditorium on Saturday, a day before the governorship primaries of the party.

    The meeting was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. 36 members were present out of the 40 members of the House and all of them endorsed the decision and duly signed the statement announcing the decision.

    Hons. Segun Olulade and Abiodun Tobun both from Epe constituencies 1&2, the same place as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode were absent including Hon. Sikiru Osinowo who is said to be outside the country.

    The lawmakers stated that they were in agreement with the leadership of the party and the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) which had earlier endorsed Sanwo-olu for the governorship ticket.

    “At the Parliamentary meeting held on 29th September, 2018 at the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex, members do hereby unanimously resolve to support the position of the Leadership of All Progressive Congress(APC) and the Governor’s Advisory Council(GAC) in Lagos State on the endorsement of Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu as the APC Gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 election.

    Read Also: Group drags Gov. Bindow to Court over alleged certificate forgery

    The meeting was attended by 36 out of the 40 Honourable members in the House of Assembly.”

    In a similar development on Saturday, at a meeting held at the Ikoyi residence of Sanwo-Olu, Obafemi Hamzat the third aspirant in the tripartite governorship race, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat stepped down for Sanwo-Olu calling on his supporters to vote massively for Sanwo-Olu at tomorrow’s direct primaries which will take place all over the state.

    Hamzat described Sanwo-Olu as a man of integrity who is competent to handle serious business of governance.

  • Lagos APC: 377 councillors endorse Sanwo-Olu

    NO fewer than 377 councillors under the aegis of Forum of Councillors from 20 local governments and 37 local council development authorities (LCDA) in Lagos State on Monday endorsed the governorship aspiration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    The councillors pledged their total support for him ahead of Saturday’s primary election.

    The endorsement took place in Ikeja through voice vote after a three hours meeting between the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO), some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the aspirant.

    Director General of the aspirant’s campaign organisation Mr. Tayo Ayinde hailed the forum’s spirit of oneness, saying that unity among politicians was important for impactful growth.

    Ayinde stressed the need for internal democracy and urged every member of the forum to work hard for the Sanwo-Olu’s aspiration.

    The campaign DG described the event as a family meeting, where a decision that would affect family members would be made. He thereafter presented Sanwo-Olu to the crowd, who rose to welcome him.

    A former Lagos State Commissioner of Agriculture Mr. Kaoli Olusanya advised the councillors to remain steadfast and not be deterred by antics of those afraid to face the people at the primaries. He said the council members were the closest to the people.

    “No politician knows the grassroots people better than you the councillors”, Olusanya stated. He also informed the gathering that he started his political journey as a councillor, noting that hardwork, dedication and loyalty to the party and the political family have taken him to a higher pedestal.

    According to Olusanya, nothing should be taken for granted in politics. “It is on that note that I’d want you to work for our brother, friend and colleague, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, so that he can clinch the party’s ticket on Saturday.”

    The governorship aspirant thanked the councillors for coming out in large numbers to receive him.

    He started by telling them of his antecedents in the party since leaving the corporate world to join the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu administration in 2002 as a Special Adviser and later as commissioner. He told the forum how close he has been to their colleagues in his constituency, noting that he was doing all he could for them at a time when he never thought of running for governorship position.

    Sanwo-Olu urged the councillors on the need to persevere and be loyal, saying those virtues usually pay off in the end.

    “Perseverance in politics is good. It usually pays off in the end. That virtue is what has brought me to this level,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

    He urged the councillors to get out the vote on Saturday, promising that better days are ahead for all party members.

    Vice Chairman of the Councillors Forum in Lagos State Mr. Remi Shittu, who presided over the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu, pledged the support of his members in the primaries.

    Other party leaders, who spoke at the meeting, include Cardinal James Odumaku (aka Baba Eto) and Mrs. Omolola Essien, who sought the support of the councillors ahead of the Saturday’s primary election.

  • Lagos APC congress peaceful, says Balogun

    The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, said yesterday that the party held a peaceful, transparent and democratic congress for the delegates to the national convention across 245 wards.

    He said no fewer than 3.5 million card-carrying members participated in the exercise, which was witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Balogun hailed members for shunning unruly behaviour during the congress.

    He urged them to be orderly during the convention.

    The chairman said the elected delegates were representatives of the wards and local governments, in accordance with democratic norms.

    Balogun, who addressed reporters at the Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja APC secretariat on the congress and other issues, enjoined party faithful to brace for the proposed direct primaries for the election of standard-bearers for elective positions.

    He said: “What took place at noon today in all the local governments in Lagos was the participation of card-carrying members of the APC in the congress for the election of delegates to the national convention holding in Abuja next month.

    “Over 3.5 million duly registered party members took part in electing and ratifying the delegates. The delegates will elect our presidential candidate next month at the convention.”

    Thanking members for trooping out to participate in the congress, Balogun said: “It was the beauty of democracy. Lagos APC is huge. We have a data base of over five million members and we are still registering. The exercise took place nationwide. In Lagos, it took place in our 20 local governments and 245 wards.”

    He added: “The exercise was monitored by INEC. It was peaceful, orderly, transparent and democratic. The exercise was successful. I can assure members that our proposed activities, particularly the direct primaries for the election of standard-bearers for the 2019 elections, will be peaceful, orderly, transparent and democratic.”

    The chairman urged party followers, who have not registered, to do so to become legal and legitimate members.

    He said the intending members can either register at the wards or at the state secretariat of the party.

    Balogun said: “We welcome our new members. We urge those who are yet to register to do so and we assure our new members that they will have a sense of belonging based on equity and justice.”

  • Lagos APC: we welcome defectors

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Alhaji Tunde Balogun has hailed the defection of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Adegoke Salvador, to the ruling party.

    He said: “It is a welcome developemnt. I welcome Adegoke Salvador and his supporters. We will host them to a grand reception. He defected in good faith.”

    Balogun, who spoke on phone, urged the defectors to register at their respective wards.

    He said: “Registration is still on. They can also come to the state secretariat of APC to register. We will give them a sense of belonging and treat them as equal members.”

  • Embrace peace, love, unity, says Lagos APC women leader

    Lagos State Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, has urged Muslims to embrace peace, love and unity, “in order to build the society of our dream.”

    In a statement she made available to reporters as Muslims celebrated this year’s Eid-El-Kabir,

    Okoya-Thomas said: “It is a thing of joy for all of us to be alive to celebrate another Sallah in good health.

    “My warmest wishes to you on this solemn festival of Eid-El-Kabir. May the blessing of Allah fill your lives with peace, joy and good health.

    “We, the women of our great party, the APC, are happy that Nigerian Muslims are joining numerous other Muslims from across the world to celebrate another Eid-el-Kabir.

    “This is an annual event that brings to mind how Allah replaced Ismail with a ram for Prophet Ibrahim. May He replace your sorrow with joy and your few with abundance.

    “As we are celebrating another Eid-El-Kabir, we should remember that Prophet Mohammed (SAW) stood for peace, love and unity in his life. Nigerian Muslims and indeed all Nigerians should realise the need for us to learn to live together as one and embrace tolerance as a people.

    “While we are not unmindful of our challenges as a nation, we should realise that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and that we can do better than we are currently doing. We should not over celebrate, bearing in mind that we have a lot on our hands as a nation.

     

     

     

  • Lagos APC for direct primary

    •Tinubu knocks defectors

    Candidates for next year’s election will be picked through direct primary, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided.

    Leaders of the party adopted the model at a “stakeholders consultative meeting” at the party secretariat yesterday.

    Giving the advantage of the system, which was adopted to pick the candidate of the party for the September 22 Osun State goverborship election, APC stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said it was a way of rekindling internal democracy within the fold, “because with this the party has gone back to its owners: the people”.

    Direct primary is a system in which all card carrying members of the party will participate in voting to pick candidates rather than leave the process for delegates.

    Tinubu who spoke at the consultative meeting, said the chapter would embark on a fresh membership drive with the registration of new members and that it would also ensure that all existing members were issued with identity cards to enable them participate in the primaries.

    Tinubu, who spoke most of the time in Yoruba, said intending members could do their pre-registration online. He enjoined council chairmen to ensure that the exercise is seamless; adding that those that register more members and ensure that more Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) are collected within their domain would be rewarded with a fresh tenure.

    Alluding to the fact that officers shouldered with the responsibility might want to collect bribe before doing their job, he said: “If we don’t register more members, how can we elect the governor, our lawmakers and the President in next year’s general elections?”

    The APC stalwart assured members that the Lagos State chapter would have free and fair primaries ahead of 2019 and that there would be no favouratism. He said: “It is APC members that will decide who will represent them: you will do this with your vote.”

    He also indicated that all aspirants for elective positions and members who intend to take part in the primaries must possess their membership cards and their PVCs, adding that the registration drive would enable defectors who joined the party from other platforms to enlist in the APC in their constituencies.

    Tinubu described the noise about defections in recent times as unnecessary distraction, because the defections would not affect the fortunes of the party in the general election. He described those who defected as saboteurs.

    The former Lagos State governor said the victory of party’s candidates in by-elections in Bauchi, Kogi, Katsina and the Ekiti governorship election are indications that the party was still solid. He said the party would record another victory in Osun State next month because he has confidence in Governor Rauf Aregbesola who laid a solid foundation for the state. “We have seen the good work he is doing in Osun,” he added.

    Tinubu took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for saying Nigerians should not support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid, saying the former president did not utilize the eight years he spent in power to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria.

    He said foundation is crucial to any building and that it was the foundation his team laid during his tenure that made it possible for former Governor Babatunde Fashola and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to succeed.

    He added that if Obasanjo had laid a good foundation in Abuja, Nigeria would not be in such a deplorable state. “He did not lay a good foundation and he is accussing President Buhari of performing below par.”

    The APC National Leader commended Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s decisiveness in dealing with the invasion of the National Assembly by operatives of the DSS, adding that Osinbajo’s action saved the party from embarrassment.

    Tinubu said the APC is still steadfastly committed to President Buhari’s ability to change Nigeria for the better. He said members knew from the outset that fighting corruption would not be an easy task, because it will fight. “But we were not deterred,” he said.

    Tinubu also dismissed the insinuation that the party is divided in the State, saying there is nothing of such, and that the party is intact.

    He said: “We reiterate the fact that APC in Lagos State is intact. There is no division. I’ve heard some people conspiring to present a situation of division in the party in Lagos but let me assure you that it is just the coming together of adversaries which will have no effect on the party.”

    Governor Ambode lauded Asiwaju Tinubu for his contributions towards deepening of democracy in the country. He added: “What we have just witnessed in the last 30 minutes is the upliftment of democracy in Nigeria. This is a silent revolution and we thank Asiwaju for his commitment in the quest to build a better Nigeria. This means each member of the party will contribute his quota to determine who will represent them.”

    The chapter passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole with a voice vote, after Lagos APC Chairman Mr. Tunde Balogun, tabled the motion.