10th December, 2010
As the polls draw nearer, the battle for the soul of Lagos State between rival groups loyal to former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his successor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, may have commenced fully as people presumed to be loyal to the governor were allegedly sidelined in the ward and local government congresses held across the state.
The move Political Platform learnt, may be a signal that ex-governor Tinubu’s loyalists are bent on demonstrating their hold on the affairs of the party ahead of next year’s election.
Although, ACN leaders in the state were said to have opted to maintain the status quo in order to avoid division, the faction believed to be loyal to Fashola has condemned the manner in which the matter was handled by the party leadership.
An evidence of the internal rift within the rank of the party was seen on Tuesday when aggrieved party members trooped to the state secretariat of the ACN to complain of disenfranchisement during the ward and local government congresses.
The protesters alleged widespread manipulation of the party’s membership register to favour stooges and lackeys of the party’s leadership in all the local councils in the state.
The party members complained that delegates were imposed and not elected during the congresses, a plot they fear would reduce the chances of the incumbent governor of clinching the party’s gubernatorial ticket.
Chief David Abidakun, the chairman of Lagos West Senatorial District stakeholders’ group, which has widespread presence in ten local government areas in the state, said “a cabal wants to impose some people on the party as delegates for their own selfish end,” adding that the imposition is against the wish of the members of the party.
Reacting to the allegations of irregularities and lack of democracy during the congresses, the chairman of the congress committee, Bashorun Alabi said the exercise went on smoothly, adding that he was unaware of any protest.
“When it comes to selection in any party, such is bound to happen because we have groups, we have caucuses, there ought to be complaints here and there. So if you don’t get something like that, it means something is wrong.
“But what we did was simple. We told them that if they felt that they were being marginalized, they should not fight but report to us and we will look into it and take appropriate steps. We even told our returning officers that if their is problem in any ward, they should come and report to us.”
He added that the response to the congress was overwhelming and the people were very happy about the whole process.