 in Lagos State have called on stakeholders and aspirants to embrace consensus in selecting candidates for the 57 local government areas and local council development areas.){kind=link}
Ahead of Saturday’s primaries for the upcoming July 12 local government elections, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State have called on stakeholders and aspirants to embrace consensus in selecting candidates for the 57 local government areas and local council development areas.
The appeal was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Ogba, Ikeja, on Wednesday. Party leaders stressed the importance of peaceful conduct throughout the primary process.
Speaking at the event, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, reaffirmed that consensus is a longstanding approach within the party, encouraging aspirants to make sacrifices in the interest of party unity and the emergence of credible candidates.
The meeting took an unexpected turn when the Chairman of Bariga LCDA, Kolade Alabi, suddenly collapsed shortly after delivering an address.
The incident occurred just before the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was due to speak. Alabi was immediately attended to and taken for medical care.
In his remarks, Hamzat expressed concern over the health scare, emphasizing the need for all to prioritize well-being. “Let us respect one another. We thank God for His mercy, and we pray for the full recovery of our colleague,” he said.
Hamzat reiterated the party’s commitment to the consensus model. “We are one party. Let’s not bring shame to our leaders. Consensus has always worked for us. Let’s stick with it.”
The Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, also advocated for consensus, noting that with over 500 chairmanship aspirants, compromise is essential.
“In some wards, we have up to 12 aspirants contesting a single councillorship position. It’s time to show unity, dialogue among ourselves, and make concessions for the party’s progress,” Olusi urged.
The APC Electoral Committee Chairman, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), emphasized the importance of the primaries, stating that Lagos remains a political model for other states.
“Our goal is to uphold the party’s integrity and ensure transparency. The screening process has been fair and without external influence,” he said.
Ogala explained that the primaries would be conducted in line with party guidelines, combining consensus and indirect primaries.
While chairmanship primaries will be held at the state secretariat, councillorship primaries will take place in the respective wards.
He added that only aspirants and one agent each would be allowed into the venue and warned that any breach of guidelines could lead to disqualification.
Lagos State APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, in his opening speech, urged all stakeholders to place the party’s unity and success above personal ambitions.