Lagos 2015: APC candidates will emerge through primaries – Fashola

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos on Monday assured that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state would conduct primaries to choose its flag bearers for various electoral positions.
He gave the assurance when “The New Lagos Movement“, a group within the party, staged a protest at Government House, Ikeja, against what they called imposition of candidates in APC.
According to him, party members should not entertain fears of undemocratic emergence of candidates, stressing that no candidate would be imposed on them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Tunji Bello, the state Commissioner for Environment, addressed the protesters on behalf of the governor.
“We are going to ensure that there are primaries; that every man and woman that has the right to contest will be allowed to contest.
“Nothing will be imposed on you and you will not be asked
to do anything apart from what you are legally obliged to do,“ he said.
The governor dismissed insinuations that the party had agreed on certain persons to contest certain positions on its platform, saying APC will not act out of the will of members.
Fashola urged the protesters to remain calm and keep the peace, assuring that the party would protect the interests of all party members in its decisions.

Earlier, Mr Niyi Akinsiju, who led the protest, said the imposition of candidates by some leaders of the party was a slap on the democratic rights of party members.
He said while leaders had the right to endorse candidates for electoral positions, such endorsements should not override the wishes of the generality of members.
The politician said that the endorsement of Mr Akinkunmi Ambode as the next governor of the state by some party leaders would only stand if subjected to due democratic process.
Akinsiju said they could no longer remain silent and allow a few people within the party to determine their fate, threatening to resist any form of imposition of candidates for the next general elections.
“Party leaders have the right to endorse, and I and other members of the party have the right to endorse too.
“What we are saying is that we should have as many aspirants as possible and that nobody should impose anyone on us.
“Our democratic rights should be protected and our voices should also count. Democracy is all about equal and popular participation, and not a show run by a few people.
“There must be internal democracy, we are tired of imposition,’` he said.
Akinsiju also faulted the recent conduct of APC zonal and state congresses in the state, saying candidates were selected rather than elected.
He said the group had filed two cases in court against what he described as the “undemocratic emergence“ of party officials at zonal and state levels.
Meanwhile, Chief Henry Ajomale, the state party Chairman, has described the protest as premature and unnecessary.
He told newsmen that it was inconceivable that a group not known to the party could be protesting over things that had not been decided in the party.
Ajomale said that members were free to aspire to contest on the platform of the party, assuring the party would follow due democratic process in the selection of candidates.
“I am surprised that some people are protesting over who should be the gubernatorial candidate of the party. We have not made any arrangement in Lagos.
“And like in any other state, we have to adhere to the guidelines issued by the party’s national secretariat and I am not aware of any directive on how the gubernatorial aspirant in the state should emerge.
“Maybe they are protesting based on rumours, which do not represent the position of the party.

“When the time comes, we will decide who will democratically be the candidates of the next election,’’ he said