Group tackles Sanwo-Olu for including brother in APC screening committee

A group within the All Progressives Congress in Lagos state, All Progressives Congress Professionals for Change has flayed the state chapter of the party for including the brother of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the committee set up to conduct the National Assembly, Governorship and House of Assembly primaries in the state.

The Chairman of APC in Lagos State, Cornelius Ojelabi, had on Monday inaugurated the committee which is to be headed by the APC Zonal Organising Secretary, Lateef Ibirogba.

The other members of the committee include Olayinka Oladunjoye, Bola Badmus-Olujobi, Hakeem Odumosu, Gbolahan Idris, Adebayo Sanwo-Olu, Sodiq Ademola, Oluremi Shopeyin and Muritala Seriki.

The group alleged that many individuals in the committee have strong ties with some of the contestants thus allowing them to play the role of umpires could jeopardize the interest of other aspirants in the race.

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The National President of the group, Hakeem Ogunsanya, wondered why an elder brother of Governor Babajide Sanwoolu would be named in the committee that would conduct an election in which his sibling will participate.

He said allowing the committee, as presently constituted, to conduct the election could taint the integrity of the exercise which could ultimately affect the chances of the party at the poll.

He wondered why the state chapter of the party would be the one to set up the committee without the input of the national body, saying such a move is against the constitution of APC and shouldn’t be allowed to stand so that a bad precedent wouldn’t be set which could lead to further chaos in the party.

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“We have some elements in that committee who have close ties with some of the aspirants. It beats my imagination that our great party in the state would appoint the elder brother of the Governor to the committee that will conduct an election in which he is a contestant; this is like taking impunity to another level, what signal are we giving to other aspirants in the race? This is an aberration that shouldn’t be allowed to stand.

“Our concerns are to protect the integrity of our party and the process; it shouldn’t be the business of the state chapter of the party to set up primaries committee, it is an obligation constitutionally reserved for the national body. If we allow this aberration to scale through, we would be creating problems for the future because other states may want to copy that which will lead to further chaos,” he said.