By Dansu Peter A stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, des...
By Dansu Peter
The meeting, held at 7 Ijaoye Street, began calmly at around 4:00 p.m. but quickly turned rowdy when aggrieved party faithful stormed the venue, chanting slogans and demanding a halt to what they described as external interference in Ojokoro's local politics.
Chants of "Ole!" (thief), "We can’t take it!", and "Obasa can’t control us from Agege!" rang through the air, as protesters accused the Speaker of attempting to foist a chairmanship candidate from Agege on the people of Ojokoro.
"Who knows Sanusi?" and "We won’t allow a stranger rule us here!" were among the placards and chants directed at the alleged imposition of a candidate with no known political or community ties to the LCDA.
Speaking after the disruption, Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, a vocal party member, condemned the move to ratify what he described as an outsider for the chairmanship position. According to him, the aspirant has no political history or grassroots connection with Ojokoro.
“A chairmanship aspirant must live here, have worked here, and be known to the people. We are rejecting this imposition outright,” he stated, warning that forcing an unfamiliar figure on the community could trigger wider discontent within the party.
He further disclosed that no fewer than 18 local aspirants had declared interest in the chairmanship position, all of whom have a track record in Ojokoro politics.
Another protester, Bola Ojetayo, lamented the growing culture of disregard for grassroots voices in APC politics, accusing party leaders of sacrificing the people’s will for personal alliances.
"We are saying no to leadership by proxy. This is Ojokoro, not Agege. Our leaders must emerge from among us. We will not allow strangers to hijack our council,” she said.
In the midst of the uproar, APC stalwart and former House of Representatives member, Hon. James Owolabi, appealed for calm, urging protesters to express their grievances without resorting to violence.
“You all have a voice in this party. Let your protests be peaceful and focused. Violence solves nothing,” Owolabi advised.
Other notable APC figures at the disrupted meeting included the incumbent council chairman, Jelili Oseni; former Lagos Assembly member, Ipoola Omisore; Amosu Aminu; Chief Oriyomi Olaogun; and Mr. Akindele Aremu.
The protest comes just weeks ahead of the Lagos State local government elections scheduled by LASIEC for July 12, casting fresh doubts over the APC’s internal cohesion in the build-up to the polls.
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