…Faults non-release of screening exercise result
One of the aspirants screened the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Lagos State governorship contest, Olawale Wasiu has condemned what he described as unjust denial from participating in the governorship primary election conducted on Thursday.
He faulted the process that led to the emergence of delegates to the governorship primary which he said was undemocratic as the delegate congresses held in the 245 wards of Lagos was a “sham”.
Olawale insinuated that the ‘powers that be systematically schemed him out of the race because of his soaring popularity among Lagosians.
The aggrieved aspirants in a statement on Thursday after the primary said the exercise is one-sided and does not reflect the total interest of the entire APC members in Lagos State.
The statement read “a purported “Governorship Primary Election” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State is being held at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium. Onikan. According to the organizers of the event, the eligible “Delegates” to vote at the “Governorship Primary Election” are those handpicked by just one of the APC factions in Lagos State through a sham Delegates Congress purportedly held in the 245 Wards of Lagos State on the 18th and 19th of May 2022.
“The one-sided Congress which excluded all the other aspiring delegates that bought the APC Delegates Nomination Forms was conducted in gross violation of the APC Electoral Guidelines. APC Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“The Lagos State APC State Exco, headed by one Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi is complicit in the exercise or this blatant rape of democracy in APC Lagos.
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“We also note that the Screening Committee which was inaugurated by the APC National Headquarters to screen all governorship aspirants in Lagos State. has refused to publish the results of the screening exercise as at the time of this press release.
“The approved Election Guidelines of the APC mandates the Screening Committee to release its results within 24 hours of concluding the screening exercise, so as to allow participating aspirants to appeal the outcome of the screening at the APC Screening Appeals Committee.
“I cannot understand why the Screening Committee chose not to contact the aspirants screened by them either by phone call, text message, written letter, or any other means of communication. considering their decision to withhold the results of the screening.
“This is a serious breach of aspirants’ fundamental rights to fair hearing. as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
“It is clear that my candidacy in this 2022 APC primary elections has generated massive positive excitement from party members and Lagosians generally. It has also created serious discomfort for those who are afraid of my message of a new agenda and accountability in governance.
“These discomforted powerful individuals have even gone to great lengths to prevent me from participating in the primary election of today by excluding me in a manner similar to the last Edo State episode where a sitting governor was denied participation in the internal democracy process of his party. The resultant effects of that misadventure still live with the party till date.
“The extent to which these same individuals have succeeded in their desperate scheming will become apparent when the Screening Committee eventually decides to “release” the results of the screening (which is already 12 days in arrears).
Optimistic that the will of the people will not be subverted, Olawale implored his teeming supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, despite the provocations.
Speaking on his next line of action, the aspirant said “we will continue to seek redress from the internal dispute resolution mechanisms or the party. Without foreclosing the enforcement of our rights to seek justice in the court of law.”
