Amidst the celebration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory at the Lagos State All Progressive Congress (APC), gubernatorial primary are questions bordering on the silence of one of the disqualified aspirants, Olawale Oluwo.
Recall that the Lagos State APC gubernatorial primary took place at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos State on Thursday, May 26, with only Sanwo-Olu cleared by the APC screening committee to contest the election which has since been tagged free, fair, peaceful, and transparent by the party’s Appeal Committee for the Governorship Primary election.
Worthy of note, is the fact that prior to the primary, Mustapha4Lagos Agenda, a support group for one of the aspirants Olorunfemi Mustapha had complained of an agenda to screen out its principal from the internal election. It pointedly accused the incumbent governor of being the brain behind the agenda, stating that Mustapha was a threat to his second-term agenda.
As muted by the support group, Mustapha and another aspirant Olawale Olowu were screened out by the committee, as they could not gain access to the venue of the election to exercise their civic right on the day of the primary, paving the way for a smooth ride for Sanwo-Olu.
Since Sanwo-Olu’s victory at the primary, several individuals including Mustapha4Lagos Agenda have frowned at the manner with which the other aspirants were isolated and humiliated at the venue of the election. They expressed shock that both Mustapha and Olowu were not allowed access to the venue of the primary, as they were categorically told that they had not been cleared for the election.
The development saw Mustapha4Lagos Agenda, a support group of Mustapha categorically rejecting the outcome of the primary saying that it was not a reflection of the desires of the larger APC house.
Since the position was taken by the group, there have been several developments including a petition signed by Mustapha sent to Appeal Committee for the Governorship Primary election and its subsequent withdrawal by the petitioner, with a promise to support the party and its governorship candidate in the state.
Interestingly, in a statement by the appeal committee, its chairman Hon. Ibrahim Akaje said the three-man Gubernatorial Primary Election Appeal Committee inaugurated by the National Working Committee of the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu had amicably resolved the issues raised by the aggrieved party in order to foster unity and make progress in the party.
Akaje, who was supported by Barrister Abubakar Hassan (Secretary of the committee ) and Hon. Ginika Tor noted that Lagos State was among the APC states that recorded relative peace in the primary elections.
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‘’We are indeed not surprised because it could not have been otherwise owing to the security alertness the state ensured. It is an acknowledged fact that Lagos State is not only the cradle of Nigerian politics, but it has also continued to be a determining factor in political scheming of the country.
‘’Today, our great party is the country’s ruling party basically on account of the influential role played by the political juggernauts in Lagos State, who in alliance with other political heavyweights across the federation aligned to midwife the APC and subsequently steered it into National electoral victory. We are very optimistic that this victory will be repeated come 2023 general election not only in Lagos State but across the federation.’
’’The committee received a single petition submitted by Ahmed Olorunfemi Mustapha alleging that he was denied access and participation in the Gubernatorial Primary election. In view of that and to ensure justice and fairness, the complainant was invited and accorded fair hearing in a peaceful meeting under a conducive atmosphere.
‘’The Appeal committee received the petitioner who presented his matter extensively. After thorough analysis and deliberations on the matter, the committee subtly informed the petitioner that he was not cleared by the gubernatorial Screening Committee, a verdict of which was upheld by the Screening Appeal Committee. Both parties, therefore, agreed to embrace peace and maintain unity for the good of the party and the state,” the statement read.
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Reacting to the position of the appeal committee, the petitioner said, ‘’I will abide by the party’s decisions, irrespective of what has happened, we have been a beneficiary of the party, we cannot break a house that we have built. We have resolved to work together with the party in exploring the internal mechanism of the party.
‘’I will ensure that Lagos State remains in the kitty of the APC to deliver dividends of democracy, working in conjunction with the party. I and my supporters will support absolutely the party, the nominee of the party, Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu to make sure that our party wins not just in the state but at the federal level so that our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will become the president of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
While Mustapha’s position of party unity is clear, the same can hardly be said of Oluwo who has maintained that he would seek the help of the internal resolution of the party without ruling out the possibility of seeking redress in a court of competent jurisdiction.
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