Kunle Adelabu
-As Asipa Kaoli appeals to party, council chairmen to accept party’s decision
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has fixed its Senatorial primary election for September 3, 2020, to pick its flag bearer for the Lagos East Senatorial bye – election slated to hold in October.
The leadership of the party on Monday (yesterday) briefed its local government structures across the Lagos East Senatorial District on the direction which the party is going regarding the Lagos East Senatorial bye-election.
THE IMPACT gathered that the leadership of the party, led by the State Chairman, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun, met with the Council and party Chairmen in all the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the District at the party’s Secretariat, ACME, Ikeja, to inform them about the activities towards the election.
Sources at the meeting told THE IMPACT that the leadership of the party informed the party chairmen and local council helmsmen at the meeting that the primary election, as stipulated in the extant law guiding electoral process, will be conducted by the party.
It was also gathered that the sales of form has already commenced while interested party members willing to contest the much coveted position are expected to be purchase the form for N6million.
Interested aspirants are also expected to obtain Expression of Interest form for N1million while the closing date for purchase of form and its submission to the party is fixed for 20th of August, 2020.
According to the party’s guidelines, screening of candidates will come up on August 25, while names of approved aspirants and objections will be published on August 28.
In addition, appeal on the primary election is scheduled for September 4, a day after the primary election.
At the meeting with the party leadership, THE IMPACT gathered that there was no mention of any consensus candidate except the discussion on the preparation for the electoral task ahead.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT gathered that some of the party and council chairmen, especially those from Ikorodu, met privately after the meeting with Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, the Vice Chairman, APC Lagos East, who withdrew from the Senatorial contest on Monday (yesterday).
Sources said that at the said meeting, the council Chairmen requested to know the position of things concerning Asipa Kaoli’s Senatorial aspiration and the rumour of his withdrawal from the race.
It was gathered that Asipa Kaoli affirmed that he has stepped down in the interest of the party and solicited for the understanding of the aggrieved party and council chairmen.
“That is true. We met today (Monday) at the party’s state secretariat on the Senatorial contest, but we did not discuss anything about any consensus candidate at the meeting with the state leadership of our party. The meeting was majorly about preparing us for the electoral task ahead”, a source said.
He, however, said that the issues over the Senatorial contest and adoption of a consensus candidate were raised at the meeting with Asipa Kaoli.
“But after the meeting with the party leaders, we requested for a meting with Asipa Kaoli where we asked him about his Senatorial aspiration and rumour that we are hearing about the consensus candidate. He explained himself and asked us to accept the party’s decision.
“From the situation of things, we may just have an aspirant picking the Senatorial form. But whatever happens, we are on the side of the law which provides for three options – open, closed or consensus form of primary election”, he said.
Another source at the meeting, who spoke with our reporter, also confirmed that the party decision has prevailed and that they are ready to work for the party’s interest irrespective of who emerges as the candidate.
“It was a family meeting with Asipa Kaoli and as usual, we passed our views across. At the end, we were able to agree with him on his decision, even though many of us are not happy about it. The issue is that, if we are going to adopt a consensus candidate, there are still processes to be embarked upon to actually make any candidate of our great party a consensus candidate”, the source said.
“Since it is our party and our national leader’s directive, we have to abide with it and toe the party line. The interest of the party, and not that of any individual, will always prevail. We are now going back to the drawing board to work for Abiru’s victory at the poll”, he added.
Another source, who also spoke with our reporter, said that:
“Although, we did not expect what happened, we have to accept it because it is the decision of our party and more importantly, it is coming to Ikorodu.
He confirmed that those in attendance at the meeting also expressed their dissatisfactions but at the end allowed reasoning to prevail.
“At first, we were not happy and we did express that but as members of a big family which our party, APC, represents, we have to accept the decision and toe its line”.
