LG Polls: Protests rock Ogun over APC’s ‘imposition’ of candidates

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State on Tuesday embarked on series of protests over alleged imposition of candidates ahead of the July 24 local government elections in the state.

Aggrieved party members from Odogbolu council area stormed the APC secretariat at Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta, alleging that the choice of Ola Olufunmilayo as a consensus candidate for the council area was upturned.

• Buhari asks Fashola, Malami, others to dialogue with Twitter
• BREAKING: #EndSARS protester who put to bed in prison freed after 7 months

Another set of protesters stormed the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iwe Iroyin, Oke – Ilewo, Abeokuta, alleging imposition of an “unpopular candidate” as party flagbearer in Abeokuta North Local Government area of the state.

At the APC secretariat, the protesters under the aegis of Movement for Progressives Change, Odogbolu chapter, accused the party of lack of respect for the APC constitution.

They carried placards with various inscriptions to press home their grievances.

Some of the inscriptions read, “We Say No To Imposition,” “No Internal Democracy In Ogun,”  “Governor Dapo Abiodun Respect Party Primaries,” “President Buhari Ogun APC Is Disunited,” “Ola Olufunmilayo Is Our Consensus Candidate”.

Addressing newsmen, the spokesman of the group, Ogunbakin Olugbenga, noted that Governor Dapo Abiodun  had directed all leaders from  each council area to go streamline all aspirants vying for chairmanship into three, out of which one consensus candidate would emerge.

Olugbenga added that out of three aspirants, the party leaders in Odogbolu produced Olufunmilayo as a consensus candidate and forwarded the name for ratification by the governor and the state leaders of the party.

He said party stalwarts at the council were shocked that the decision of the leaders in the council area had been upturned, as a new person was named as the APC chairmanship candidate.

He warned that the decision if not reversed would spell doom for APC in the council election and by extension 2023 election.

Olugbenga said “Will our national leadership fold its arms and allow this very obvious form of imposition and impunity by the Governor maim and kill the party in our dear Ogun State?

“We are appealing to the party leadership at the national level and also the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our Southwest leaders and Ogun State as well to as a matter of urgency intervene in this matter and save our dear party ,the APC from total collapse in Odogbolu local govt and Ogun state in general as 2023 is just around the corner.”

Speaking the Abeokuta North LG scenario, Babatunde Olajumoke warned that the series of alleged imposition would consume the party if the “rightful and popular candidates” are not given the party tickets in the LG polls.