Kunle ADELABU & Wale JAGUN
– Stakeholders Agreed On Harmonized List In Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA
-No Election in Ikorodu Central
-Delegates Engaged In Violent Clash In Ikorodu North LCDA
The All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Local Government Congresses were held peacefully in at least three out of the six councils in Ikorodu division.
The three councils are Ikorodu West, Imota and Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
While there was election in Ikorodu West and Imota LCDAs, stakeholders and delegates agreed on consensus arrangement in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
However, Ikorodu North LCDA lived up to its billing as the most volatile of the six councils in the division as the council yet again had the worst Congress marred with violence like the 2017 Local Government Elections and the recently held Ward Congress.
From all indications, the stakeholders meeting held on Friday, May 11, 2018, had a positive effect on the conduct of the LG Congress in Ikorodu Central which closely follows Ikorodu North in terms of political volatility.
THE IMPACT gathered that the stakeholders, after the reconciliation meeting, had agreed that there won’t be any LG Congress until the inconclusive Ward Congress is resolved.
Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA :
Congress official, Mrs Kudirat Owolabi and Mr Adewunmi Amusa were met on ground with delegates from the five wards in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA when our reporter arrived the U.A.M.C (Eleja) Primary School along Asiwaju Bo;la Ahmed Tinubu Road in Igbogbo, the venue for the congress inIgbogbo/Bayeku LGA.
There were also several police men and women on ground.
At 11.30am, three police patrol vans, loaded with police officers , were driven into the venue and the officers quickly disembarked as they immediately positioned themselves strategically within the premises , along with the police officers on ground, to forestall breakdown of law and order.
Hon. Sesan Daini, the Chairman of the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, while speaking with THE IMPACT, confirmed what many people had told our reporter that the stakeholders had agreed on a list.
“There will be no election because our leaders and other stakeholders had agreed on a list for the APC Local Government Executive Offices of our great party in our council. The delegates were just on ground to affirm what they have been duly notified and supported” , the chairman stated.
“You can see that it is a peaceful atmosphere. It is as a result of how people were carried along in the process”, he added.
Prince Jimoh Ogunmuyiwa, former chairman of the council, also confirmed to our reporter that the stakeholders had agreed on a consensus list acceptable to all interests and concerns.
At 11.45am, delegates were seen departing the venue peacefully.
THE IMPACT gathered that the incumbent APC Chairman in the council, Alhaji Sefiu Ogunyemi, popularly called ‘Lobito’ top the list as the Chairman, while Hon. Taiwo Orenuga , emerged as the Secretary.
We also gathered authouritatively that the Publisher of the Mega Expression Magazine, Mr Shakiru Seidu, emerged as the Publicity Secretary of the party.
Ikorodu Central :
By 11.55am when our reporters arrived at the Adeniran Ogunsanya’s house, the venue of the Ikorodu Central LG Congress, it was as if the party was at war as mobile and regular police men flooded the whole place while party men and women were seen gathered in groups discussing about the congress.
Hon. Wasiu Adesina, the Chairman of the Ikorodu Local Government, who spoke with THE IMPACT at 12.20pm, stated that they were still waiting for the Congress officials to commence the process.
The party Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Longe, who also spoke with our reporter few minutes later, informed that everything was in order.
At 12.30pm, Alhaji Longe was seen conversing with Hon. Adesina and by 12.35pm, the two party chieftains led other stakeholders, including Alhaji Junaid Owokodu, Alhaji Badru Enifeni and Hon. Munir Ajisebutu among others, to the podium.
The Congress Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chairman and his team later joined them on the podium to address the expectant delegates.
Addressing the party people, the Congress LOC Chairman stated that the directive they received from the party Secretariat at the state level was that there would be no election in Ikorodu Central since the ward congress was inconclusive.
“The directive we were given by the party was that there will be an election today (Saturday) and we were told that electoral materials would be supplied by a party agent”, said the LOC Chairman .
“But this morning, after several attempts to get through to the party agent who was supposed to bring the materials, I eventually reached him through one of the LOC Chairmen in other councils who was with him somewhere in Ikorodu.
“After asking him about the election materials for Ikorodu Central, he told me that materials for the council was not released on the ground that the ward congress is inconclusive and as a result, there could not be an election until the stakeholders resolve the matter”, he told the delegates.
Immediately the chairman made the prouncement, hundreds of delegates who had gathered as early as 9am started departing the venue peacefully.
Ikorodu North LCDA :
The ugly scenario that played out across the wards in the council during the Ward Congress on May 6, 2018, again played out on Saturday as politicians descended on one another.
It was alleged that the Congress officials had attempted to use a ‘fake’ ward delegates list to conduct the LG Congress which most of the delegates on ground kicked against.
The shout of ‘no election’ rented the air when the Congress officials presented the said list as party men and women protested against the conduct of any election.
According to a chieftain of a section of the political groups, he said: “There ought not to have been any congress in Ikorodu North based on the fact that there was no ward congress last Saturday (Ward Congress).
“This is because only the ward excos can vote in the council congress and since we don’t have that, where did they get the list they presented as those elected from the ward level as delegates for the council congress?” he asked.
“The action exhibited by the council chairman in connivance with other leaders is against the spirit of the decision taken by the party leaders and other stakeholders in the division during the peace meeting held on Friday (May 12) where it was agreed that those who had only served a term should be allowed to return and that we should go back to our councils to resolve issue amicably”, he explained.
Another source stated that; “Party people only went to the LASTMA office, the venue of the Local Government Congress in the council, with the expectation that the leadership would make pronouncement and assure us that the lingering issues would be resolved but to our dismay, they attempted to conduct the congress with an illegal list and they had to be stopped” , he stated.
A chieftain of the other group in a phone conversation with our reporter, debunked the allegation that the list brought by the Congress LOC was a fake.
“There is actually an authentic list for ward excos in Ikorodu North and it was that same list approved by the state secretariat that was given to the Congress LOC members but unfortunately, they did not allow the congress to hold.
He appealed to all the warring factions to resolve the matter through harmonization.
We, however, gathered that the fracas at Ikorodu North again attracted the intervention of the Lagos Police Commissioner who, we gathered, called the Divisional Police Officer, who allegedly took side with the Council Chairman’s faction, to ensure that the LOC officials and the alleged fake materials were taken to the state secretariat of APC at ACME in Ikeja.
A brother of Hon. Matthew Adesanya, a former Secretary to the Ikorodu North LCDA and one of the chieftains of a particular group, was badly injured in the fracas that ensued at the congress and was receiving treatment at the Ikorodu General hospital as at the time of filing this report.
He was reported to have been attacked by thugs allegedly brought into the congress venue by some party chieftains.
Attempts to reach Hon. Adeola Banjo, the Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, proved abortive.
Our reporter called him severally on Saturday but he did not pick his calls. We, however, gathered that his vehicle was allegedly attacked by members of the other faction.
Ikorodu West LCDA :
Accreditation was conducted outside the APC Secretariat in the council by the LOC Secretary, Mr Abuabkar Mohammed.
Delegates, who emerged through peaceful ward congress conducted on May 5, 2018, were allowed to enter the gate to cast their votes after they had been cleared at the main gate where there was a heavy police presence.
The accreditation process, which started behind schedule, ended around 1pm while the election proper began at 1.33pm.
Hon. Adefarakan Adebola Abiodun, former Councilor in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA was in-charge of the Ikorodu West LCDA Congress as the Chairman.
THE IMPACT gathered that attempts were made by some chieftains of the party that he should not conduct the election but he insisted on the directive from the State Secretariat of the party.
The exercise was concluded around 3pm and the ballot papers were sorted and counted in the presence of the delegates.
THE IMPACT gathered that the incumbent APC chairman in the council, Alhaji Olakitan Rafiu Adekunle, was returned as the chairman while Kukoyi Bolu Felix was voted as the secretary.
Alhaji Olakitan, while speaking with our reporter before the elections, assured that there is no crisis in Ikorodu West APC.
There were adequate police officers within and outside the Congress venue.
Imota LCDA :
According to the information coming out of Imota LCDA, the congress went on peacefully as all the executive members of the party in the council emerged in an atmosphere devoided of any crisis.
Ijede LCDA :
We were still waiting for the report of the Local Government Congress elections in Ijede LCDA as at the time of filing this report.
