The Coalition of Registered and Deregistered Parties (CRDP) in Lagos State on Monday endorsed candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both national and state elections ahead of 2023 general elections.
In a statement in Lagos jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr Akinola Badmus and Mrs Adeyemi Abiola, the coalition said that only PDP could rescue Nigerians from the numerous challenges facing the nation.
“We, in the above coalition that comprises of both registered and deregistered parties, market, non-indegenes, religious and civil society groups, firmly agree that it is high time we joined hands with PDP both at National and State elections to stop the coming disaster about to happen.
“We have resolved to stop the continuity of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.
“It is time to take back Lagos commonwealth from the few and make it work for the ordinary residents. We must take back what belongs to all of us from the control of a particular interest and give it back to the people of Lagos.
“This has been our primary focus. If allow selfish individual interests to continue at the national level in 2023 elections, this will be so disastrous,” the statement read in part.
According to it, the group is a Lagos-based coalition force that is determined to rescue the people at the grassroots in the state “from the hold of systematic slavery and corrupt leaderships.”
The forum said that the huge resources in the state did not have a corresponding effects on the lives of many residents and indigenes of the state.
It added that absence of local government autonomy had multiplied the suffering of.people at the grassroots in all the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.
The group said that it pulled out of the Forum of Political Parties (FPP), which it described as the dominant group championing the cause of the APC Presidential Candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu and and the reelection of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
It said that the pullout became imperative after several persuasion to FPP not to continue selling or marketing “bad products” in 2023 elections.
The group said that the incumbent Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was investing heavily the state monies into Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition project.
According to them, the Local Government Council chairmen were not spared also in the investment into the presidential ambition of Tinubu, which had affected governance and grassroots development in most LGs & LCDAs.
“The councils are mandated to procure minimum of 20 Campaign Vans. This can also be verified. The vehicles are still being parked in some of the council’s premises as we speak.
“We have proves with us. All these at the expense of Lagos tax payers money,” the group alleged.
It decried as an assault and embarrassment the uncontrolled activities of transport union members in the state, saying ‘Agberos’ had continued inflict pains on the residents without being checked by the state government.
It alleged that, touts had been empowered so much in the state by the APC-led government to the extent that they were running a parallel government while residents continued to sigh under the burden of levies and dues imposed by transport unions.
“It is only in Lagos State, you have a group of miscreants running parallel government. The state has so much empowered the touts that they behave anyhow to ordinary inhabitants.
“Imagine the hardship the miscreants are forcing on commuters daily. What they collect as levies on commercial vehicles, tricycles, commercial motorcycle operators are much higher than what the owners realise daily.
“Imagine the ‘Agberos’ making lives hard for transport operators by collecting N3,200 daily as levies from tricycle operators. Collecting on every trip, fares of about three passengers from every commercial buses.
“They collect same levies from commercial motorcycles, small buses(Korope). All these inflict pains on the people and that is why they keep fighting to take over motor parks.
“Ordinary pure water hawkers pay levies to these miscreants. This is sad and inhuman.
“These Touts lives large life than even professors in universities. Gone are the days Lagosians see Doctors, Engineers, Teachers as role models.,” the group said.
The statement urged electorate to desist from selling their votes but vote wisely for a government with leadership capacity to alleviate their hardship.
“If you choose to collect pittance and vote wrongly, your suffering continues. PDP era was better than this era of APC.
“Lagos electorate and Nigerians should vote for Dr Olajide Adediran of PDP and Atiku Abubakar respectively in this coming elections. Atiku is a unifier, tested and trusted.
“They have the panacea to all the problems confronting our economy and security as well as the hardship facing the over 96 per cent of poor Nigerians.
“With the new electoral law, there is a limit to rigging and subversion of people’s will,” it said.