The federal lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency James Abiodun Faleke has denied and described as fake news, reports linking him with organisation of a parallel congress of the All Progressives Congress in the just concluded ward congress in his Ikeja constituency.
The National Body of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had set dates and guidelines for the congresses and mode of Purchase of Forms. It also advised that as much as possible Consensus arrangement should be adopted as the first option and where this is not possible, an elective congress be conducted.
He said: “I went ahead to buy Congress Forms for our people as we have always done in the past congresses.
However, unknown to us, the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had magnanimously bought forms for all party members who wish to contest in Lagos State which had never happened in the recent past. So the Forms we purchased for Ikeja LGA were not used except in one Ward – Ward F which is Ogba Oluwole.
In Ikeja LGA, we have 10 Federal Wards. Of the 10, the Leadership in 9 sat and agreed on Consensus including my Ward-Ward B, and note that I’m from the same Ward with the GAC member – Cardinal James Odumbaku.
Also note that despite the fact that I was not at the meeting where the consensus arrangement for my Ward B was agreed on but I complied and agreed with the resolution of the leaders of the Ward. This I believe was and should be the same practice in the other Wards.
However, in Ward F known as Ogba/Oluwole communities, I was told that the leaders could not agree as efforts to have the consensus reached proved abortive because the side led by Mrs Toke Benson, Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, refused to sit down with other leaders whom she met in the Ward after returning from her sojourn in the Labour Party. She claims to be a leader because she is an SA to the Governor. But she cannot mobilize 20% of the people of her Ward for the same Governor in an election. It is others with no appointments that mobilize for the party in the Ward and LGA.
This Ward have other Leaders such as the state Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs Lola Akande; former Sole Administrator of the Ojodu LCDA, Honourable Moyosore Jaji, Alhaji Mudasiru Arewa, Hon Tajudeen Bello, Akin Lashile, Demola Banjo, Mr Isaac Ajani, Hon Demola Okubajo, Alhaji Wasiu Motajo and so many of the Youths and women leaders together with other great party leaders who have bee in politics since Awolowo days and have NEVER been disloyal to Asiwaju.
So there was no Consensus in Ward F. Then, the Congress Ward Electoral Committee invited the National Committee to help out and when consensus arrangement failed, an elective Congress was conducted and the Toke Benson camp failed to win even a seat.
We have video and pictorial evidences. So why the fake story?
If there is any parallel Congress where was it held? Note that the venue for the elective Congress conducted for the Ward took place at the designated venue picked by the leadership of the party and sanctioned by the ward Congress Committee. Note also that the elective Congress was conducted by the ward Congress Committee and duly supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
We want the rumour mongers to tell the whole world the venue of the so-called parallel Congress.
This fake story that we held parallel Congress came out because of 2023 House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly seats. Can Congress in One Ward out of Ten Wards of the LGA determine the party’s tickets for these seats?.
Have they forgotten that it is only God who determines our existence till and beyond 2023?
Have they forgotten that we have always used Direct Primary method? She was roundly defeated in the last primaries despite all blackmail.
How can a group with less than 20people in the Ward be superior to over 1000 party members in the Ward? How can she be using the instrument of office, closeness a GAC member to subvert the wishes of the people rather than enhancing their interest? Why is blackmail their weapon instead of grassroot mobilizasation to achieve result for the party?
I make bold to say that if elective Congresses were conducted free and fair in all the Wards, she and her group cannot have 10% of the total votes.
I have good and wonderful relationship with the Governor and his Deputy, they are performing, loved by the people and are very worthy of our support and should ignore this cheap blackmail.
If we are against the Governor, will it be in only one Ward out of the 10 Wards? Does this make sense to any politician?
For the fact that we bought forms as directed by the Party cannot be because we are against the Governor or any leader, it is just our practice in the past and there was no communication to members of NASS that the Governor had purchased forms for party members to the best of my knowledge.
This is my reaction to the malicious lies being spread by political rivals who have adopted cheap blackmail as weapon to attack because of their inability to deliver dividends of democracy to party members.
They are simply jealous of what we have been able to achieve for the people but we know that Almighty God is our Guardian, and one with God is a majority, we shall not be distracted.
Service to the People continues.