WHY KOSOFE CONSTITUENCY 1 LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PRIMARY ELECTION WAS CANCELLED

PRESS STATEMENT

WHY KOSOFE CONSTITUENCY 1 LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PRIMARY ELECTION WAS CANCELLED

We wish to use this medium to apprise our teeming Party members in Kosofe Constituency 1 the reason behind the cancellation of today's State House of Assembly Primary election that was supposed to hold at Mende Town Hall.

The returning officer for Kosofe Constituency 1, Mr. Fouad Oki, decided to call off the primary election after listening to both parties and with the three Divisional Police Officers from Ifako, Anthony and Ogudu Police Stations following vehement protest from our supporters that the delegate lists read out did not contain the original names of ad hoc delegates that actually won at the ward Congresses held on Wednesday May 18, 2022.

This statement was also corroborated by the three Divisional Police officers who noted that the delegate lists brought to the venue were not the ones duly signed by them and INEC officials at the three ward Congresses.

It is pertinent to note at this juncture, that two days ago, when we got information from reliable sources that the delegate lists which would be used to conduct the primary election in the Constituency had been doctored, we decided to march en masse to the Party Secretariat at Acme to register our grievances over the appalling development.

Subsequently, the state party chairman Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi while addressing our party members assured that the authentic delegate lists certified by the National Secretariat of the party would be used.

But to our chagrin when we got to the venue of the primary election on Thursday, we discovered that delegate tags had been given to non-elected delegates.

The primary election was as a result postponed with the hope that necessary amendment would have been made before today's primary election.

However, when we got to the venue of the primary election again today, we discovered that the same set of people had been given delegate tags.

This consequently elicited a vehement protest from our party members when the primary election was about to take off at the venue.

It is very important to note that the non-elected delegates brought to the venue of the primary election had been camped at a hotel for three days, forced to swear filthy oaths while their handsets were seized.

This act of political desperation on the part of a political aspirant is primitive, abhorrent and despicable. It is undemocratic and unhealthy for the development of our democracy.

It is also on record that ward congresses only took place in three wards - B, C and D while it was inconclusive in ward A. In the three wards where Congresses were held, the delegate elections were properly monitored by INEC officials and security agents.

We, therefore, wish to state categorically that as faithful and peace-loving members of this party we are profoundly committed to the enthronement of true democracy in Kosofe Constituency 1 through a free and fair primary election devoid of presentation of fake delegate lists. We are prepared at any time to go back to the field to show our political mettle and popularity only if the authentic delegate lists are brought to the venue of the primary election. Anything short of this would be vehemently resisted.

We wish to appeal to our teeming party members in all the four wards of the constituency to remain calm and optimistic. We are very much on top of the situation. And we wish to also assure you that at the end of this struggle victory will be ours.

 SIGNED

 OTUNBA BENSON ADEPOJU 

 APC KOSOFE LGA SECRETARY