LAHA 2023: Somolu II Aspirant, Gboyega Salau (Omo Adugbo), Asks Appeal Panel To declare Him Winner Of Party's Primary.

*Says 5 Statutory delegates voted during primary election

*Warns against imposition, May take matter to court

*Accuses Ojelabi of interfering in Appeal hearing

A Lagos State House of Assembly Aspirant in Somolu Constituency II Barrister Gboyega Lookman Salau has sent a strong appeal to the leadership of All Progressives Congress and the Primary Election Appeal Committee to declare him the winner of the recently conducted APC primary election for Lagos state House of Assembly in Somolu Constituency II or it organizes another rerun.

Barrister Salau made the appeal at a press conference he held on Friday at his campaign office at Ogbere Street Ilaje Bariga Lagos where he disclosed that the primary election conducted by the party last week Friday was a farce.

He stated that electoral heist was perpetrated in favour of another contestant who was eventually declared the winner of the Somolu Constituency II All Progressives Congress Lagos State House of Assembly primary election held at Bariga LCDA.

According to him, 5 Statutory delegates were allowed to cast their votes during the primary election in favour of Mr. Samuel Apata contrary to the stipulation of the electoral amendment act 2022.

He noted that the 5 Statutory delegates that were allowed to vote were political appointees and mentioned their names as Mrs Bukola Adedeji, the Secretary to Bariga LCDA; Mr Dare Martins Onakoya, Executive Secretary, Shomolu Local Education Authority; Hon Folusho Adebomojo, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Bariga Council/ALGON President; Hon. Taiwo Shodara, Supervisory Councillor for works and Mr Michael Ajilo, General Manager Bariga Property Development Agency. 

He also noted that one of his delegates Abiodun Akintunde was fraudulently replaced with one Hon. John Osijo who was also part of State delegates.

He said If the 5 votes of the illegal delegates were deducted from the votes of Mr. Apata who polled 16 as against the 13 which he polled he would be the winner of the primary election.

He said: "The primary election that was held at Bariga LCDA was a charade fraught with irregularities and run contrary to the stipulation of the electoral act 2022.

"According to the electoral act Section, 84(12) of the electoral act 2022 provides thus: 'No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the nomination of candidates for any election'.

"The implication of the above is that political appointees who intend to be voting delegates or stand as aspirants for elective positions in a primary election shall, first of all, resign their appointments. For a political appointee, the failure to resign an appointment before voting as a delegate or standing as an aspirant in a primary election is a violation of the electoral act and further renders the primary election null and void and illegal.

"At the primary election held in Somolu Constituency 2, we had 30 delegates that were accredited. One of our delegates Mr Abiodun Akintunde was fraudulently replaced by one Hon. John Osijo who was also a state delegate. I raised the issue with the executive chairman of Bariga LCDA Hon. Kolade Alabi and promised to look into the matter and that he would not allow the delegate to take part in the electoral process. When the process was going on We again raised objections on some delegates who were political appointees that were illegally accredited as against the Electoral act but the returning officer advised that we could not stop the process and that we can only petition the appeal committee if we have any issue or whatsoever". 

Barrister Salau who is fondly called "Omo Adugbo" by his political admirers further disclosed that when he objected to the returning officer and the Chairman of Bariga LCDA Kolade Alabi immediately he spotted the 5 illegal delegates, he was told the matter would be looked into after the voting process had been completed.

He disclosed that he had consequently filed an appeal with the Primary Election Appeal Committee sitting at the Party secretariat of the state to retrieve his mandate.

While stating that he was still expecting the decision of the Appeal panel, he accused the APC State Chairman in Lagos State Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi of interfering with the process of the hearing.

According to him while the hearing was going on, Pastor Ojelabi came in and called the appeal committee chairman to his office where Bariga LCDA Chairman Hon. Kolade Alabi and his predecessor Mr. Sulaimon Oris were.

"Consequently, I filed an appeal at the Party State Secretariat, Acme for the appeal committee to look critically into the matter. But, to my utter dismay while the appeal hearing was going on, the State Chairman of the party in the person of Apostle Ojelabi, walked in to summon the chairman of the appeal committee out, interfered and completely jeopardize the appeal process. 

"Information reaching us was that the Executive Chairman of Bariga LCDA, Chairman Kolade Alabi Davids and Former Chairman Sulaimon Oris were in the State Chairman's office as at the time Apostle Cornelius Ojelabi summoned the appeal chairman to his office.

"As I am speaking to you right now we are still expecting the appeal panel to make a categorical statement over the matter. We have sent an Appeal to the National working committee and we hope to get justice. We will keep exploring all available Party mechanisms to get justice. 

"We also have it on good authority that an aspirant who scored zero is lobbying to be imposed on the people of Bariga. This will be too dangerous for our party, we are afraid APC might not have a candidate for the general election if the party do not do the needful. We shall resist any form of imposition in Bariga. We are loyal party members that believe in democracy and also believe in the leadership of the party. We beg our leaders to take a pragmatic approach and allow the people to choose their Representative", Omo Adugbo said.

He however warned that he may decide to go to court to seek justice if the party's internal party mechanism he had explored was unable to resolve the matter judiciously.

He said: "However, at this juncture, while we await the decision of the appeal committee we hereby wish to use this to restate our prayers which are as follows:

1 "That the votes of the five illegal delegates be removed and I should be declared the winner of the primary election.

2 "That a rerun should either be called whilst the illegal delegates are removed.

"We may however be compelled to take the matter to the appropriate court of law to seek redress if our requests are not granted having exhausted all available internal party mechanisms to resolve the matter".