There was apprehension in Agege and Ifako-Ijaye areas on Saturday over alleged imposition and membership register as the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the July 24 council elections got underway across Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the exercise was delayed in taking off in Ifako-Ijaye while anti riot policemen were deployed to quell protests in Agege over alleged imposition of candidates.
NAN reports that there was also massive turn out of party faithful at Amuwo Odofin where the process was peaceful, with heavy security presence within and around the venue.
Mr Valentine Buraimoh, the Council Chairman, commended the voters for turning out en masse to vote for their candidates.
NAN correspondentt who monitored the exercise around Ojokoro LCDA of Ifako-Ijaiye reports that no fewer than seven APC aspirants are contesting the party’s ticket for the chairmanship seat in the council.
Speaking with NAN, Mr Hammed Tijani, the incumbent chairman of the council, who is seeking re-election, told newmen that issues around the party’s membership lists delayed the commencement of the exercise.
Tijani said:” Today happens to be the day for our primaries,along the line we have some discrepancies in our membership register. So, that is what we tried to resolve through consensus.
“Every one of us brought our ideas on the best way to go about it and we have resolved on how we are going to go about it. Everybody has agreed that the accreditation should be done and people should cast their votes because time is not longer on our side.”
The incumbent chairman, who expressed strong confidence of winning the party’s flag for the second term, apologised to party members for the delay.
Another aspirant, Dr Oladipupo Okeyomi, popularly known as ‘Carry Go’, said that the party’s decision remained the ultimate and supreme to him.
“Whatever the decision of the party is my own decision. By the grace of God, I am the winner of this primary election.
“I know I am going to win this election. I have my people on ground and they are ready to vote for me,” he said.
Another chairmanship aspirant, Chief Olufemi Davies, decried the muddling up of the membership register, saying the development had deflated the spirits of many members that eagerly thronged their wards for the election earlier.
NAN reports that results of the primaries held across 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas of the state would be announced at the APC state secretariat later on Saturday. (NAN)