Politics
ELDERS of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State say it is time to address all issues and concerns within the party in the council.
The party’s elders, including the Apex Leader, Elder Dele Ogunshakin and Elder Dele Ogundipe, said this at the APC LGA Meeting on Monday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, attended by more than 3,000 party members, was called by the elders to discuss issues affecting the party in the council
It was also a forum to share New Year gifts, including cash support, to members.
Speaking, Ogunshakin noted that the way the current local government managers were running the party structure had brought disaffection within the party in tbe area.
According to him, the party nearly suffered total defeat during the 2023 general elections in the council because of the actions and inactions of council managers.
He called on the State Party Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi;Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and President Bola Tinubu to intervene to put things right in Oshodi.
Ogunshakin said that the council chairman, Mr Kehinde Al-Maroof, had not done enough to bring party members together after the election that produced him.
He alleged that the party chairman had been dealing only with his loyalists from a particular political group and had abandoned members in the mainstream party structure.
“Since the chairman came in, he only deals with members of this group which is his own caucus, that’s the bottom line of the division. This can destroy the party in Oshodi
“The cohesion of the party at this local government is shaky. The founding members, those of us who started in 1998, have been sidelined,” he said.
The elder said that stakeholders in the party had met with the party chairman and urged him do something urgently on the issues.
Ogunshakin expressed the possibility of returning peace to the party with genuine reconciliation.
“The governor cannot go to sleep with this kind of thing happening and the results of the last election. He must initiate genuine reconciliation
“We are not fighting because of individuals now.We just don’t want what happened in 2023, when our President lost in Lagos, to happen again,” the chieftain said.
Another leader of the party, Elder Dele Ogundipe, said that those elected on the platform of the party failed to reconcile members after the 2021 local government elections.
Ogundipe said: “The leadership failure was what led to the low votes we had at the general elections in 2023. We were lucky, Labour Party, almost got the House of Representatives from APC also.”
Expressing surprise about the high turnout of aggrieved members at the meeting , Ogundipe urged the state party hierarchy to address the grievances before the 2025 council poll.
“We must ensure we have a ready leadership.We must ensure we have leader that will bring all of us together. A leader that will carry all of us together so that we can have a united family,” he said.
Also speaking, Lady Evang. Adesola Oriyomi, one of the APC women leaders in Oshodi-Isolo ,said that the meeting was put together in order to encourage those discouraged by the situation in party .
The meeting was attended by former and present political appointees and lawmakers ,including the General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASPEMA), Mr Daisi Oso and former APC State Auditor, Elder Wale Ariyibi.
Others were Mr Taiwo Ayedun, former Senior Special Assistant on Civic Engagement to former governor Akinwunmi Ambode;Mr Adebanji Atewogboye, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Grassroots Sports Development.
Also, Mr Akeem Sokunle, a former two -term lawmaker who represented Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly ,Mr Sadiq Gbolade, former council’s Supervisor for Works ,were present.. (NAN)
Photo Caption: Some APC leaders in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area at the LGA Meeting on Monday in Lagos
31st December, 2024.
C.E.
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