Lagos indigenes take protest to Akiolu, Tinubu over gov seat

Lagos indigenes take protest to Akiolu, Tinubu over gov seat

INDIGENES of Lagos, protesting the alleged involvement of non-indigenes in the governorship race, have taken their case to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu; former governor of the state, Senator Bola Tinubu, among others.

A statement by the group said the visitation took place last week Tuesday.

Two aspirants have also withdrawn from the race, to brighten the chances of Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon.

The group, from the Lagos East senatorial district, vowed to reject any non-indigene presented as governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election.

The group, operating under the banner of Elders Council of Epe, said it would not support any candidate not from the zone.

It claimed that it was the turn of the area since Tinubu and the incumbent governor, Babatunde Fashola, came from Lagos West and Central, respectively.

A statement on Tuesday said the elders visited Tinubu’s residence in Bourdilon, Ikoyi; the Oba of Lagos palace, and the APC secretariat in the state to make known their demand.

Chairman of the Epe Alaro Council of Indigenous Elders’ Forum, Chief Sabiu Gberefun, said though the residents appreciated the party’s decision to zone the governorship to the Lagos East senatorial district, those claiming to be from the zone were controversial characters.

According to him, “it is on this note that the Elders Council of Epe, as a mark of responsibility, felt it must wade into this ugly development and call on the party leaders to live by the party’s decision of zoning the candidate to Epe.

“Our expectations are that the governorship candidate must be a true indigene of both Eko and Ijebu Epe, with no blemish. The candidate must possess leadership qualities good enough to drive a sensitive state.

“The candidate must also possess a concrete political will that represents and respects the wish and aspirations of the people of Lagos State, as well as that of the APC. The candidate must not be fraudulent.”

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, told the group to continue to pray for the peace and progress of Epe town, hoping that the best candidates would emerge at the primaries.

Akiolu noted that Epe had brighter prospect than other parts of Lagos, adding that the emergence of a governorship candidate from the area would engender all the development that the residents had been clamouring for.

Meanwhile, two governorship aspirants on the platform of APC from the Ikorodu division of the state have voluntarily stepped down for Solomon.

Political leaders and elders in Ikorodu division have also unanimously adopted him as the APC consensus candidate for the division.

Those who stepped down from the race were Mr Taiwo Akintunde Kara and a former Head of Service in the state, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe.

The decision to step down for Solomon to pave the way for his adoption as the Ikorodu division consensus candidate was reached at a meeting held at the Ikorodu town hall on November 7.

A communiqué endorsed by the three aspirants, dated November 17, said the agitation by Ikorodu division was justified following the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket to Lagos East.

According to them, “indigenes of Ikorodu outvoted their son, Prince Biodun Ogunleye, to pave way for an indigene of the Epe/Ibeju-Lekki community to emerge as governorship candidate in 1992. It is expected that the Epe/Ibeju-Lekki community will support ‘Ikorodu Division for Governor agenda’ on APC platform for the 2015 election.”

A communiqué signed on behalf of the body by its chairman, who is also the Asiwaju of Ikoroduland, Chief Babatunde Olusola Bension, said the decision to present a consensus candidate by the area was to avoid their experience during the 2011 elections, when they had more than one candidate vying for the same seat from the area.

SOURCE: TRIBUNE