The Lagos4Lagos Movement, a splinter group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, says parallel congresses may impact negatively on coming elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Lagos4Lagos Movement, held parallel ward and local government congresses at different locations, at the nationwide APC congresses on July 31 and Sept. 4 respectively.
The group had alleged impunity, imposition and marginalisation in the party, as the reason for their action.
Mr Olajide Adediran, Leader of the group, told NAN on Thursday, that if the issues that gave rise to the parallel congresses were not urgently addressed by the party at the national level, it would affect upcoming elections.
“Of course, it is going to have an impact in the 2023 general elections.
” Our conducting a parallel congress was because, some members of the party are dissatisfied with the pattern of managing the party in the state.
“So, the procedure and guidelines of the party, though, agreed that there can be a consensus arrangement.
“But consensus means that all groups and all parties involved, have to come to round table and agree on how to share the slots, after which we go forward for affirmation.
“The moment we have a dissenting voice, the moment you see a party, refusing to carry all members and groups along, there will be conflicts.
“It is now left for the national body of the party to mediate, and decide how every member will be on board.
“By doing so, we need to know the numerical strength of each group, to be sure we are not giving the party to the minority at the expense of the majority,” he said.
According to him, if democracy remains a game of numbers, the majority will get control of the party.
He urged the caretaker committee to consider that the group had conducted ward and LGA congresses, which “revealed that the group has the majority.”
Adediran said that at the Ward Congress Appeal Committee in Lagos, the group had shown its strength of majority.
“We are everywhere at the ward level and it is expected that the party at the national level, will also look at the other side and see what they have in terms of numerical strength.
“With that, there can be a sharing formula, in which groups should have what percentage, in terms of executives of the party across board.
“For us, we have done our own congress on Saturday, we have compiled our lists, and we have all our executives across the 20 LGAs, which we are going to submit to the party,” he said.
Adediran urged the national body to take a decision on the discord in the party, adding that his group was ready for reconciliation. (NAN)
