Group seeks end to imposition of candidates in Lagos APC

The Lagos4Lagos movement, a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, has said it is time for the state to resist the imposition of political office holders by a supposed ‘godfather’ in Lagos.

Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the convener of the group, spoke at a press conference in Lagos.

Mr Adediran said “it is time for Lagosians to begin to choose their leaders themselves, and not allow some people to select for them”.

Although the group did not name anyone, it was apparently referring to Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the APC and a former governor of Lagos, who has largely been instrumental in choosing the party’s candidates for elections in the state.

“We want, for the first time, a party that will be that of the people; not a party of an individual; a party that we can all call our own,” Mr Adediran said at the press conference.

“We want a party where I can contest in my constituency if I am popular, and get the people’s vote to fly our party’s flag, not a party where somebody will say, no, sit down, irrespective of your level of popularity, and let another person go.

“It is time for Lagos to work for Lagosians, hence the mantra, ‘Lagos4Lagos’. For many years, Lagos has only worked for a few individuals,” he said.

Mr Adediran said political affairs in Lagos will experience a change in 2023 and the “ugly trend in which a man imposes candidates since 1999 will stop”.

Speaking about registration and revalidation of APC party members, the group said it will actively commence registration to identify its own people.

“We have put up a committee of 852 members across the 20 local governments and 25 wards to begin registration.

“This new registration happens to be one of our prayers to the national body of the party to say look, we are ready to populate the party with young energies, the youth.

“But there are things we believe we need to do at the level of the party, we need to press a reset body in the party because we have been running a party where we can’t even say this the three numerical strength,” he said.

The APC membership registration started on February 9 and was expected to last for two weeks.

Other members of the Lagos4Lagos group present at the conference are Rasheed Osanyinpeju, the Public Relations Officer, Funke Ijaiye-Kunle, the central coordinator, and Seun Soyinka, the publicity secretary.

Mr Adediran said during the party’s primary elections, the state records millions of votes ”but when the actual election comes, “500,000 to 700,000 are being recorded which shows that there is a deficiency.”

He said Lagos4Lagos is a movement that aims to rebuild the party.

“We are infiltrating the party to bring about a change,” he said.

“We are not unmindful that there are some elements within the party resisting or trying to frustrate the process.”