Congress: Lagos APC Moves Against Consensus Candidates, Tackles Bola Tinubu

A faction in the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the leadership of former governor, Bola Tinubu is unknown to the party’s constitution as it rejects plot by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) to impose consensus leaders on the party in the state, News Online reports.

The GAC is believed to be the highest decision-making body of Lagos APC, controlled by Mr Tinubu whose influence in the APC hierarchy is manifest.

On Wednesday, the GAC said the party will adopt a consensus arrangement for its ward executives.

Speaking on behalf of the council after a meeting that was held on Wednesday, Tajudeen Olusi, a GAC leader, disclosed that all leaders and party officers were asked to dialogue in the spirit of brotherhood to decide those who were going to lead the party after congresses.

However, Abdul-Azeez Adeniran, a factional leader of Lagos APC insisted that elections must be conducted to elect the state party executives.

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He argued that the party cannot take directives from GAC as it is not constitutionally known to the party.

“I have gone through APC constitution and the only highest decision making organ I found there is NEC and not any GAC…since the body is not known to the party, we can’t take directives from them,” Mr Adeniran said.

“I don’t think they need to force us into the consensus of a thing if you are so certain and sure of what you have, okay let us meet at the field. We have expressed our own readiness by paying for forms,” he added.

Mr Adeniran also accused the Lagos State Government of hijacking nomination forms from the party delegates sent from Abuja.

Already a chieftain of the APC and minister of state for labour, Festus Keyamo, had called for the suspension of the party’s congress.

Mr Keyamo who spoke in view of the judgement of the Supreme Court, in an election appeal filed by Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the Ondo election, Eyitayo Jegede, against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, warned that the continuous stay of the Buni-led committee could spell doom for the party going forward.

The apex court had ruled that no elected executive can hold another office simultaneously.