Tinubu quits Aregbesola from Lagos, as APC leaders rebel against pre-decided winners  of Lagos LG primaries  

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, may have retired, quitting  the former Governor of Osun State and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from Lagos politics during the last Saturday APC primary election in the state. While the APC had been thrown into turmoil after the primary election to nominate candidates for the local government election in Lagos State, it was gathered that all aspirants for the council chairman, including incumbent office holders in local governments, were schemed out of the party’s tickets.

The Interior Minister has been having latent dispute with the Tinubu dynasty; loyalists of the Lagos political godfather have been plotting strongly to pitch Tinubu against Aregbesola. It was alleged that Minister’s closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari has been causing discomfort for the national leader. The plotters were gathered to be questioning Aregbesola’s loyalty to Tinubu, a former godfather.

The APC local government primaries in Lagos were structured in such ways that the loyalists of the Minister, especially, in Akowonjo, the political stronghold of the minister.

Meanwhile, the LG primary election in Lagos State held amidst violence in several councils. It was gathered that there were shootings in Agege, the LG of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; as well as in Surulere, the local council of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Several APC leaders in Lagos State have continued to protest the compilation of names of candidates before the primaries were conducted. They also challenged the party leaders why they allowed party members to spend money buying nomination forms, campaigning for the council election when they had prepared a list of candidates to impose on the party. The imposed candidates were said to have been given the LASIEC forms while the primaries were going on for the LG polls in the state.

An APC leader in Lagos, identified as Jandor, was cited to have protested: “When our members requested to know if we will be partaking in the local government election, I clearly told them that joining that process will be a waste of time, energy and resources.

“Now, it has happened. Since you knew you already have anointed candidates across board, why ask people to go all out to purchase N2 million nomination form. Why ask them to keep campaigning for primary election; why setting up an election committee headed by the Deputy Governor; why conducting screening exercise; why asking people to come all out to vote in a primary election that you never intended to carry out to the point that lives were lost in the process?

“And now, without holding any primary, no appeal, nothing, LASIEC forms are already distributed to your anointed candidates.

“You have again, taken the selection choices away from the people.”

The APC primary election in the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas was said to have recorded violence in most of the councils, with cases of electoral fraud, voters’ intimidation and thuggery. Because of these, elections could not hold in some wards, APC members protested.