Council Poll: APC youths in Ojokoro protest planned imposition  

Scores of All Progressives Congress youths in Ojokoro LCDA on Monday, staged a protest against an alleged plan to impose a chairmanship candidate on them, ahead of the forthcoming council polls.
The aggrieved protesters who besieged the residence of a former House of Representatives member, Hon. James Owolabi who once represented Ifako Ijaiye Federal Constituency, expressed their grievance on the planned imposition of candidate against popular wish of the people.

One of the aggrieved protesters Hon. Akinosho Olawaye form Ward E condemned what he termed a usual practice of the leaders which bothers on imposition of candidates.

“We had that the leaders of our party are trying to impose a candidate on this local government for the position of chairman and it is not done that way.

“Anybody that wants to come out as the candidate of the local government must be a resident of the area and must have done many things to advance the cause of the party, such must be a participating party member of this local government.

“In a situation where we heard that somebody is coming, who had no party card and somebody is imposing him on us, we would have preferred that they allow everybody have a level playing field.

Also Mrs. Bola Ojetayo from Ward E in Ojokoro was quick to add that the protest was informed by the issue of candidate imposition which is fast becoming a trend in the area.

“We came here from different groups because these leaders are fond of doing that, their interest in getting pecuniary gain comes first in their reckoning, while the majority’s interest is jettisoned on that basis.

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“Why will you prod somebody outside Ojokoro to come and rule the place? It is wrong.

“They will allow that because of the tokens they will get, how will they be able to advance the cause of Ojokoro?

“Those within have been labelled for none performance, how will Ojokoro benefit if an outsider is now in charge? That is why we are protesting that an outsider must not be lorded over us.

Owolabi however, queried the protesters for not conducting themselves maturedly, citing the fact that leaders who ought to have been notified about their grievance were all gathered at his residence, which happens to be the venue of the meeting but embarrassed and had to leave the venue due to their conduct while protesting.

He added that the protest was in order but the mode of communicating their grievance is wrong and counterproductive.

Spotted earlier at the venue were Hon Ipoola Omisore, Barrister Bolaji Sanusi and others, the protesters who echoed their grievance within and outside the venue of the meeting noted that though they had different choice of candidate for the council poll, they will not tolerate an outsider being imposed on them.