APC Remains Divided as it Heads for Saturday LG Polls

'APC Remains Divided as it Heads for Saturday LG Polls' 

There are growing indications that the  All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State is heading for the next Saturday local government chairmanship and Councillorship elections polls as a divided house as barely 48 hours before the elections, the party is still at loggerheads with National Legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN).

While some groups in the party have been protesting and calling for the expulsion of the APC chieftain over alleged anti-party activities, as Banire and his loyalists have continued to allege imposition of candidates for the elections.

A legal practitioner and Deputy Convener, United Action for Change, where Banire is the convener, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, who addressed a press conference on Wednesday described those who protested against Banire last Tuesday as engaging in “inglorious show of self-immolation.”

Prior to the May 27 APC primary at the National Stadium, Banire had maintained that the party must give room for internal democracy in the processes of electing candidates for the election.

Adegoke therefore justified Banire’s decision to represent the APC in the case filed in Lagos State by aggrieved party members which made the state High Court nullify the initial APC primary in Odi-Olowo Local Council Development Area.

“It must be borne in mind that those who were not satisfied with the shameful act of May 27, 2017, at the National Stadium, Surulere, were the ones who went to court to challenge the impunity. The cases were instituted against APC and LASIEC and all actions against APC must be against the national secretariat of the party as the law does not recognise a branch of the party, like Lagos State chapter of the APC, as a legal entity that can sue and be sued,” he said.

However, following the nullification of the previous primary, a new primary election was conducted last Tuesday where former Vice Chairman, Odi Olowo/ Ojuwoye Local Government Area, Mr. Raska Ajala, emerged the chairmanship candidate of APC for the Saturday council polls.

Ajala defeated five other contestants with a margin of 169 votes to emerge as APC chairmanship candidate. But what would have been a barrier to Ajala’s participation in the poll next Saturday was quickly removed by the state House of Assembly, which passed into law, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission Amendment Bill 2017 on Tuesday, has also been signed into law by the governor.

The new bill allows a political party to withdraw and substitute candidate not later than three days to LASIEC verification.

It also stated that any candidate can withdraw from contesting not later than three days to the election by personally taking a letter of withdrawal to the state secretary of the party involved and the secretary must personally take the letter to LASIEC not later than 12noon, three days to the election.

But to the Banire camp, that was undemocratic because it did not put the interest of other political parties into consideration.

“The implication is that the amendment to the LASEC law carried out by the Lagos State House of Assembly was done in favour of APC who had, by greed of some leaders of the party, nullified its own right to participate in the election. The amendment process did not take into consideration, the interests of other political parties and neither did it consider the opinions or perception of the public and hence, there was no need for public hearing before the amendment was made.

“The amendment was carried out in a black market manner and it offends all legislative traditions and conventions. It is an impunity transported from the bedroom of dictators to the hallowed chambers of the legislators,” Adegoke alleged.

In what is indicative of the divide in the party and the possibility that some members may be working at cross purpose with the leadership of the party, a group of persons under the aegis of Mushin Concern Leaders have been calling for Banire’s expulsion for allegedly encouraging members of his group to pick tickets of other political parties with hope to defeat the APC in the election.