Kunle Adelabu
-Party chairman, aspirant appeal to members to go back home, remain calm
About 100 residents of Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) kept vigil at the party secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ikorodu North LCDA, located in Odogunyan, on Saturday to demand for the results of the Chairmanship and Councillorship primary election conducted on the same day.
The party members, who said that they were ready to remain at the party Secretariat indefinitely, alleged that the primary elections were only conducted in three out of the five wards in the council and that the results had since been counted.
They are, however, demanding that the results for the three Wards must be declared without any delay.
The protesters, who were mainly the supporters of one of the Chairmanship aspirants, Hon. Mathew Aliu Adesanya, have, however, been appealed to by the party chairman in Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Abiodun Iyiola and the aspirant, Hon. Adesanya, to remain calm.
THE IMPACT, had on Sunday (yesterday), reported that elections were held in three Wards but that the process was disrupted by thugs, except at the centre for Agbala Ward E3, where there was no hitch due to the presence of security officers.
But the party members and the aspirants that were on ground said that ballot boxes were counted despite the disruption and that results were announced.
Mr Kehinde Ogunbayo, a leader of the party who spoke with reporters said that they are keeping vigil at the party secretariat for the official announcement of the Saturday primary election adding that Hon. Mathew should be declared the winner.
“The turnout was very massive and the election was conducted but up till now, we are still expecting the official results.
“After the counting yesterday (Saturday), Hon. Mathew was leading but because the official results were not declared have not been declared since yesterday, people became agitated and asked the authority and leadership of our party to come to our aid and help us because we have done what is necessary and what is left now is for the results to be officially announced and we want that to be done as soon as possible”, he demanded.
Prince Tunde Ogunsanya, a party leader in Ward E1, Odogunyan, also speaking, said that electoral officials came late to his ward and that despite a brief disruption at the centre, votes were counted and results were announced.
“The electoral officials arrived late at Odogunyan and we started accreditation and voting at the same time. While the voting was ongoing, we heard gunshots which led to panic but when everything calmed down, people returned and the process was peacefully concluded.
“Before the disruption, many people had already voted and the results were counted and it was 77 votes for Hon. Mathew Adesanya while Hon. Banjo Adebisi got 4 votes. It was announced on the ground where we voted.
He also demanded that the result should be announced because, according to him, Hon. Adesanya won.
“My prayer is that they would declare our candidate, Hon. Mathew as the winner. In fact, if we had continued with the voting, he would have scored about 2000 votes. There is no way he would not defeat Hon. Adebisi Banjo because he is a grassrooter”, he boasted.
Mrs Justina Osara, the APC Organising Secretary in Ikorodu North LCDA from Ward E1, Odogunyan, who also said confirmed that electoral officials came late to the Ward and that gunshots were fired to cause panic, equally stated that election was held and counted at the centre and also demanded for the official announcement of the results.
“We started the election very late because the electoral officials arrived late but at a point, there were gunshots but we stood our ground because we knew that we were with God and we were exercising our rights.
“At the end of the process, our votes were counted and Hon. Mathew scored 77 votes while Banjo scored 4 votes”, she said.
“People from all the five wards were here at the party secretariat. We have sleeping here since yesterday waiting for Hon. Mathew to be officially declared the winner. You can see that I am still carrying my bag.
“We know that Hon. Mathew won after the collation of all the results from the five wards yesterday (Saturday) but there will be a problem if he is not announced as the winner”, she said.
Mrs Caroline Modupe Adebayo from Ward E3 Agbala, in her own reaction, said:
“We have been here since yesterday to show our grievances concerning what is happening.
“The election followed the guidelines and winners were announced in each of the wards and we have been here since yesterday for the official announcement of results but they have not and we are not ready to leave this place until they announce the results.
“We are prepared to stay till our voices are heard”, she emphasized.
Barrister Ken Obi from Ward E1 and Leader of Ndigbo members of APC in Ikorodu North LCDA, also speaking, said:
“Since yesterday when the election was held, we have been waiting for the results. Mathew was leading in all wards and the voice of the people is the voice of God.
“If they truly want democracy to prevail, they should simply announce the winner who is Hon. Mathew Aliu Adesanya and anything contrary to that will only bring problem”, he said.
Meanwhile, Hon. Adesanya, while addressing the large crowd and journalists at the APC Secretariat in Odongunyan, said that he was at the secretariat when he learnt that many members of the party were keeping vigil at the party secretariat.
“I was at home this afternoon (Sunday) when I learnt that our party faithful are at the secretariat demanding to know the development and outcome of the primary election conducted yesterday (Saturday), so, I have decided to come and address you because of your loyalty, honesty and support”, he said.
“You know what is good for you and you are demanding for it. It is your right to demand for justice.
“The election has been conducted according to the party guidelines in all the five wards in Ikorodu North LCDA but election was actually held and counted in three Wards and results were announced as well.
He appealed to party members not to engage in any act capable of disturbing the peace in the society and that they should believe in the party leadership to do justice.
“I want to advice as a party faithful and somebody who believes in the party that you should remain calm. Don’t do anything that would deface the community. I trust, believe and understand you and know that you are party faithful and will never do anything that would discredit the party, All Progressives Congress.
He said that the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and others have directed that there must be primary election which had been done and that nobody should take law into his or her own hands for any reason and assured them that the leadership of the party will do justice to their demand.
He also enjoined them to believe and trust the leadership of the APC.
“I am confident in the leadership of our State party chairman, Hon Babatunde Balogun, and all the party excos at the state level to deliver justice and if you believe in me, you have to believe in this party's executive leadership.
“Our Apex leaders in Ikorodu, starting from Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya and others, are faithful leaders. They are faithful, concerned and honest leaders and we have to believe in them.
“You must, as party members, work towards the goodness of the party. I am appealing to all of us to remain calm and also tell others in your wards not to go away or shy away from the truth and that they must remain calm and wait for the party’s pronouncement. The party is supreme and whatever is the party’s decision we shall go by it; abide by it because we are party members and we believe that the party will do justice”, he appealed to the aggrieved party members.
Hon. Abiodun Iyiola, the APC Chairman in Ikorodu North LCDA, also addressing party members at the secretariat, pleaded with the party members to remain calm.
He said that the party leadership is abreast of all that transpired and would address the issue soon.
“We are appealing to all our party members that are aggrieved to remain calm.
“I am here today to address you so that you too will go back to your various places to address others too.
“We have all seen what happened yesterday with its shortcomings, but our party does not condone violence or any negative act in any form.
“We are in a party that is well coordinated and organized. There is nothing that anyone is doing that the party is not taking note of.
“We don’t approve of anybody disrupting the process with guns.
“I can assure that the party will listen to your demands and do justice to them. The party leadership has been properly briefed on what happened and they are taking necessary steps. You will hear positive news soon.
“I am pleading with you to calm down”, he pleaded with members.
He enjoined the protesters to go back home and await the decision of the party leadership. And as soon as the party Chairman finished addressing the aggrieved party members, they started leaving the party secretariat for their respective houses in conformity with the request of Hon. Adesanya.
