25th August, 2011
Vice-Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Lagos Central Senatorial District, Engr. Abiodun Adeseye has declared that the Lagos Central Senatorial District has not picked the Vice Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Mr. Tajudeen Ajide as the party’s candidate for the October 22 local government elections.
Adeseye in a statement explained that a screening exercise for all chairmanship aspirants in the district will start today and will end on September 6, 2011.
He wondered where some supporters of the party got information that the district had picked an aspirant as candidate before the screening.
This, he said, could lead to violence in the area.
He warned supporters of the party to desist from making statements that can put the party in a bad light. “Our party has enjoyed the support of the teeming Lagosians and such should be maintained,” he added.
Adeseye explained further that it is only the Governors Advisory Council, GAC, that has the authority to return the chairmanship candidate of any local government that is in question, stressing that “Surulere Local Government Chairman is not in question.”
“It is the Governor’s Advisory Council that has the sole authority to return the chairmanship candidate of any local government that is in question but our dear Surulere Local Government is not in question,†he stated.
Quoting from the ACN guidelines, he said: “ACN guideline says that any local government chairman who is on a first term should be returned for a second term.
“The Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Dr. Rasaq Oyesegun Folami is serving out his first term and deserves to be returned for a second term,” he stated.
Adeseye also disclosed that Dr. Folami performed creditably well during his outgoing tenure in the area of education, health, security, environment, public private partnership, PPP, employment generation, works and infrastructure development, youths and sports development, information and community mobilization and contributed to the development of the local government.
On the alleged return of some local government chairmen during the Lagos Central Senatorial District meeting, Engr. Adeseye disclosed that the meeting did not reach any agreement on any candidate since the meeting was inconclusive.
“Let me state here that during the Lagos central senatorial district meeting, some leaders came with list of candidates which I and Alhaji Lateef Odunsi and party leaders in Surulere voluntarily opposed. Therefore, I don’t know where and how they got the name being touted.â€
Adeseye implored party members to remain calm and disregard all inflammatory statements being made by some leaders who are hell bent on causing disaffection among party members in Surulere Local Government.