By: Azeez Adekanye/
The All Progressives Alliance (APC) in Lagos Mainland Local Government has been enmeshed in crisis in the last few months over the issue of the party structure.
Two groups are at the centre of the crisis. They are the “New Vision”, led by Honourable Monsuru Alao Owolabi and the “Mainland Voice”, led by Honourable Jide Jimoh.
The crisis is now set to boil over, as two parallel party executives produced by the two groups are digging in less than 48 hours to the primaries to select the party’s candidates in the 2023 general elections. There are two different lists of delegates expected to vote now in circulation.
At stake at the party’s primaries election scheduled for Saturday are three APC tickets: one for the House of Representatives, and two for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Leaders of the two contending groups are rooting for different candidates for the three-party tickets.
The raging crisis has proven tough for party leaders, as they have been unable to placate the warring groups to resolve the matter amicably despite the directive of the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the intervention of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
It will be recalled that the Governor’s Advisory Council constituted an Ad Hoc Committee which include the Chairman of the party, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale, Chief Yomi Finih, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe and Prince Abiodun Ogunleye the former deputy governor of Lagos State to resolve the Exco crises in Lagos Mainland Local Government and Shomolu Local Government.
The Ad Hoc committee of GAC invited both parties in the Lagos Mainland crisis to a meeting where it was resolved that the party Exco should be shared among the two groups with the inclusion of smaller groups like “MIG” led by Hon. Tunji Bello, the current Commissioner for Environment and “216” led by Otunba Tayo Oyemade.
However, all efforts to get Hon. Jide Jimoh-led group to concede to the new arrangement has become an exercise in futility.
For the House of Representatives ticket, for instance, the New Vision group, led by Hon. Owolabi is rooting for Hon. Tajudeen Agoro who recently decamped from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to APC as the candidate of the party for House of Representatives, Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency; the Hon. Jimoh group is however divided as to who to back for the House of Representatives ticket.
While Hon. Jide Jimoh, who currently represents the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives is backing Hon. Oladele Adekanye for the party’s ticket, a member of the group and party leader in the area Hon. Wale Oshun is backing his younger brother and four-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Lanre Oshun. Even though Oladele defeated Lanre in a shadow election of the group, the latter has spent 16 years in the Lagos Assembly.
With the two groups spoiling for a showdown on Saturday with the likelihood of the crisis getting worse which could eventually jeopardize the chances of the APC winning the House of Representatives seat in Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency, attention is shifting to Prince Abdul Akeem Animashaun, as the best option for the ticket.
Recently, a group made up of prominent leaders and stakeholders from Lagos Mainland West named Lagos Mainland West Elders Forum, which has endorsed and is rooting for Prince Abdul Akeem Animashaun, had petitioned the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State, the Deputy-Governor of Lagos State, the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), and the State Chairman of the Party Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi.
In the petition, they alleged marginalization, oppression and being outrightly sidelined from the political equation in Lagos Mainland Local Government.
The group lamented that since 1999 till date, despite contributing immensely to the success of the party by ensuring the highest voters turnout in the local government, they have been left out of the political equation.
The group further stated that no genuine settlers of the area ( Ebute–Metta) have ever been given the opportunity to serve in both elective and non-elective office starting from the House of Representatives, Lagos State House of Assembly, and Local Government Chairman.
In furtherance of their agitation, the group, Saturday, May 21, 2022, at a press briefing at the Baale of Salu Court compound endorsed Prince Abdul Akeem Animashaun as their candidate for House of Representatives Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency.
One of the leaders of the group, Baba Babs Fashina, while conducting the endorsement ceremony emphasized the need to have a round peg in a round hole, someone who was born and bred in Ebute – Metta, whose parents are well known and have over the years contributed immensely to the development of the area.
The group opined that the emergence of Prince Abdul Akeem Animashaun the candidate of the party will lay to rest years of marginalisation and end the intra-party crisis in Lagos Mainland Local government. This assertion was made by the group on the ground that Prince Abdul Akeem O. Animashaun has maintained neutrality in all of the crises going on in Lagos Mainland Local Government and consistently preached peace to the warring groups.
He is adjudged to be a bridge-builder with unimaginable charisma, intellect and maturity and generosity that for so many years had enabled him to maintain cordial relationships with all parties involved in the crisis.
A legal practitioner, and former special assistant to HE Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Youths and Students Affairs, Prince Abdul Akeem O Animashaun is the advocate of the YOUTH AGENDA and founder of MAINLAND REFORMERS. He is the Managing Partner, Varsart Attorneys & Legal Consultants, and was a former Government Relations Advisor for Intercontra Initiatives Limited, a multi-national corporation with branches across Africa and Europe.
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