There is palpable tension in the air as the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducts its Local Government chairmanship primaries today at the party secretariat in Ikeja, amid allegations of threats, bribery and undemocratic practices.
Prior to today, many chairmanship aspirants and party leaders in the APC have kicked against what they described as a plot to impose ‘foreign’ candidates.
The aggrieved members and leaders, drawn from various local government areas and local council development areas, accused key figures within the party of attempting to sideline grassroots democracy by handpicking candidates rather than allowing a level playing field.
Some aspirants and party members in Lagos APC have alleged that today’s process is being used to impose preferred candidates rather than allowing for fair competition.
Vehicular movements on the entire stretch of the road leading to the venue of the primaries have been restricted.
The development created gridlock around ACME Road and other roads, forcing vehicles to take alternative routes to access their destinations.
READ MORE: Lagos Council Chair Slumps At APC Stakeholders Meeting
Hundreds of delegates from the different council areas are also being screened for accreditation.
Addressing newsmen during the delegates’ accreditation, the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala, said that the committee had provided adequate security for all the participants.
It is, however, likely that the outcome of today’s primaries will lead to protests due to the subversion of democratic processes by the APC leadership in Lagos State
.READ MORE: Cast Your Net Wide to Monitor Party Primaries, Delegates Take Bribes to Vote — Mahmood Yakubu Advises CSOs
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has fixed July 12 to conduct elections into the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state.
Campaigns and political rallies have begun on April 18 and will run through to July 9, giving political parties about three months to present their platforms and candidates to the electorate.
According to LASIEC’s electoral timetable, the nomination process for “substituted” and “only candidate” entries must be completed between June 18 and June 25.
Follow Parallel Facts on WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
