APC Group Vows to Challenge Bola Tinubu’s Consensus Candidate for 2015
The group led by Mr. Niyi Akinsinju made the observation when he led about 500 party supporters to the office of the Lagos State Governor in Alausa, just two months after the party is deemed to have given tacit endorsement to the candidature of the former Accountant General of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola as the next governor of Lagos State.
Armed with placards with far-reaching messages, such as ‘we are tired of one man decision; No to autocracy; No more Ogo sope; No to Consensus Candidates; Leaders are not Rulers and Internal Democracy, said voice of the silent majority will be resurrected if Asiwaju goes ahead with what he is noted for by imposing Ambode on the people of Lagos State.
“We are loyal party, members, but we are angry and we are frustrated because we believe some people believe they can rule over us and we say you cannot replace democracy with autocracy. When you impose a candidate on the people that candidate will not be responsible to the people but those who imposed them and if you are saying that democracy is about the people then let the people elect who will represent them, so that those people will be responsible and accountable to them. It is as simple as that”, Akinsinju said.
According to him, when Tinubu comes out to announce his candidate for the party, there is usually a silent majority.
“But this time we are waking up the voice of that silent majority. I believe that Tinubu is a democrat, he will listen to the voice of the people”, he said.
He explained Tinubu has a tradition of leading governor’s advisory council, which is not an organ recognized by APC constitution to endorse candidates for election.
“This council is responsible for selecting who becomes what, selecting, not election, Tinubu is our leader, we respect him as a leader, he has a right to endorse, if he has a right to endorse I also have a right to endorse, we want to have equal access to this power, it should not be a monopoly of one person. The basic tenets of democracy is election not selecting. That is why we make bold to say that Bola Tinubu is our leader, he can endorse anybody he wants. But we want to have right to this power, it should not be a monopoly of somebody alone”, he said.
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The group averred that there will be no problem if Ambode emerges through primaries.
“As long as the people have a voice, we have no problem, we may have as many as 100 aspirants, but let the people go to the field”, he said.
The group also presented a letter through the Lagos State Governor to leadership of the party, demanding full internal democracy in APC, reversal of zoning formula in the party to give room for anybody that wishes to contest for governorship of the state.
While responding, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola said he has listened and read their grievances in the newspapers adding that the party will look into their troubles.
Speaking through Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, the governor said the party will ensure that all candidates for the 2015 election would emerge through primaries.
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