By Adeyemi Adeleye
The Lagos State African Democratic Congress (ADC) Local Government Area Chairmen Forum has described the party’s reaction to their endorsement of PDP in the state as “absurd and laughable”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the ADC LGA Chairmen Forum and the party’s ward executives on Sunday officially endorsed the PDP Presidential Candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
They also endorsed the PDP Lagos state governorship candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor).
The group, who officially announced collapse of their structures at the local government and ward level into that of the PDP ahead of the general elections, were received into the party by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and the PDP Vice Presidential Candidate.
However, reacting, the party, in a statement on Wednesday described the group as impostors, who were not representing ADC.
The statement signed by its State Public Relations Officer, Mr Eyiyemi Orogbinyin and the Lagos Campaign Council National Representative, Mrs Mabel Oboh, said the ADC defectors were not part of the larger party.
Meanwhile, Primate Adewole Ijaogbomo, the Chairman of Lagos ADC LGA Chairmen Forum said that the group and the ward executives that endorsed the PDP were never impostors but stakeholders in the party.
According to him, the executive took the decision to collapse structure at the grassroots into the PDP in the interest of the suffering masses, after due consultation on the fortune of the ADC in the forthcoming elections
Ijaogbomo said: “It is very laughable and funny for the party to say we are impostors. The truth is that the ADC in Lagos State and its structures were put in place by the LGA chairmen. We are spending our money and time.
“We installed the current Chairman, Mr George Ashiru and made Mr Funsho Doherty, our governorship candidate in the forthcoming elections even against the national wish of the national leadership.
“We jointly took the step of collapsing party structure at the grassroots to join the PDP when we realised that the task ahead is beyond personal and party interest.
“The job ahead is to give the commoners sense of belongings in the governance of the state by voting out the ruling APC.
“We now looked vis-a-viz at the party- ADC, look at other political parties and we concluded that no party can do it alone as the best bet is for us for collapse the structure and move en-mass to protect the interest of the commoners and free ourselves from the bondage”
He said that after much consultation and discussion, they concluded that the PDP wad the only party that could cover every Nigerian.
Ijaogbomo, who is also the ADC candidate, Federal House of Representatives for Amuwo-Odofin constituency said that the committee also consulted with the members in their local governments.
“So, we are not impostors, we agreed to adopt and we adopted Jandor/Funke Akindele as governor and deputy governor of Lagos State.
“We looked at the presidential candidate that can rescue Nigeria and that has something to do with all the religious and tribes in Nigeria. It is only Atiku Abubakar of PDP.
“So, we looked at PDP and their chances at the poll, we now endorsed Atiku/Okowa as the president and vice president candidate.
“That is what we have done and we are not going back, as far as we are concern in Lagos State today, we have collapsed the structure of ADC for Atiku and Jandor. So, every other person in the party is a remnant.
“They (ADC in the state) know that we control the structure at the council, ward and polling unit excos, we are in charge,” he said.
Expressing confidence that PDP would win the election in the state, Ijaogbomo said that his group had converted its agents for the elections as canvassers for the PDP.
“We are not going back and my appeal to them (state executives) is not to swim against the tides, because PDP is a goal,” he added.
Also speaking, Mr Michael Brodie-Mends, the Secretary ADC LGA Chairmen Forum said it would be an absurdity for the state executive to say that the group were impostors in the party.
Brodie-Mends, also the ADC Chairman, Lagos Mainland LGA and 2019 party ‘s House of Assembly Candidate for Lagos Mainland II said that the structure that the party was relying on in the state belong to the LGA chairmen in the 20 council area.
He said that the council chairmen and their counterparts at the ward levels made ADC popular as a party.
“So, we are a force to be reckoned with. Whoever say we are impostors is just lying as we were truly elected. We have gone with our structure to the party that is ready to win,” he said. (NAN)
