- Allege List manipulation, urges NCCM to prevent illegality
Published By Olanrewaju Adesanya
Ahead of today’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government Congress in Lagos State, ten aggrieved executives in Amowo Odofin has flayed an alleged grand plot to deny them opportunity to stage a comeback by the party’s State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, urging the national committee in charge of process to stall illegality.
The aggrieved aspirants led by Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin APC Mr Ayodele Ogungbiye,noted that the Amuwo Odofin LGA Chairman Mr Valentine Buraimoh as opposed to the norms was handed the 27 nomination forms he paid into the party’s national bank account for by Alhaji Tunde Balogun to share amongst his loyalists, on the grounds that he was affiliated with the Lagos4Lagos initiator Olajide Adediran(Jandor).
Ogungbiye unequivocally stated that he had never had any dealings with the Lagos4Lagos points man and that it was rather the council boss Buraimoh who accommodated them in the council’s secretariat being his boys and not until the Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu took him on at an executive parley that he now dislodged the members of the Lagos4Lagos from their alloted base.
He went further to state that the conspiracy against him and the other nine was tied to that misconstrued narrative and that he advised that they need to bring in the Ibos, who has over 75% of the population in the area.
In a chat with newsmen in Festac, the incumbent APC Chairman Mr. Ayodele Ogungbiye also noted that they were supposed to be allowed to vy to retain their former positions as Tunde Balogun that gave directive that those that have served two terms or relocated should not be returned.
Ogungbiye said he went with the bank tellers of all aspirants to the state secretariat to obtain the nomination forms and that they were given a form to enter data of all those who paid, but he was later deprived collection of the nomination forms duly paid for after which the state Chairman asked to see him, citing complaints lodged by the council Chairman that the names he brought to collect nomination forms were not authentic and so should be discountenanced.
“Despite showing all the bank tellers to the state Chairman, myself and the executives seeking re-election were not giving nomination forms.
“After a while Valentine Buraimoh and his Chief of Staff, Segun Idris came and went straight to the Tunde Balogun’s office. The first thing they did, was to allege me of belonging to Lagos4Lagos Movement led by Olajide Adediran (Jandor) who I have not met in my life.
“It was even the Council Chairman that gave Lagos4Lagos group an office in the council secretariat to be holding meetings because they are his boys. It was when the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu accused him of accommodating the group that made him to takeover the office from the group. Valentine was asked to prove his allegations against but he could not and I asked them to go and investigate if I belong to the Jandor group.
“The following day, APC Amuwo-Odofin Apex leadership was called without my knowledge where they go against the agreed conditions and shared the positions among the leadership of the wards loyal to Valentine Buraimoh and the council Chairman of Ori-Ade LCDA, Alhaja Ramota for LG Executives and took it to state party secretariat on monday.
“The 27 nomination forms were handed over to Valentine Buraimoh to be shared between him and Alhaji Ramota which he did by giving out 13 forms to her”, Ogungbiye narrated.
He accused the state Chairman of not doing the right thing in accordance to the directives of the National body, saying that the nomination forms were supposed to be given to those who paid for them not loyalists of Council Chairmen.
Also speaking, the incumbent Publicity Secretary, Oyefeso Ayodeji and the Assistant Women Leader, Mrs Funmilayo Oladimeji, separately expressed their dissatisfaction over the alleged manipulation by the state Chairman, calling on the national body not to honour the outcome of the local government Congress in the state.
They added that they were qualified to seek re-election since they just spent one term in office, adding that they were surprised hearing that nomination forms had been handed over to the council Chairmen to share to their loyalists.
Other aggrieved executives and aspirants are; Alhaji Wasiu Oladimeji (Legal Adviser), Tomson Mustapha Adio ( Assistant Publicity Secretary), Ayodele Okusaga ( Youth Leader), Peter Okoli (Assistant Youth Leader), Mrs Ogbechi Francisca (Ex-Officio 2), Femi George ( Physically Challenged) and Starling Uguike ( Ex-Officio 3).
The APC Caretaker Committee Chairman Alhaji Tunde Balogun when contacted earlier today notes that more information will be availed to the reporter after the exercise as the claims of the council party Chairman came to him as news.
“That is news to me, he will definitely not do that but I am out for the congress already let’s finish the process then you will get more information.”
