APC, PDP lock horns ahead of July 24 council polls
By Damilola Kushimo
Following the release of the election timetable by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Committee (LASIEC), the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are already throwing brickbats ahead of the July 24 council polls.
While waiting for guidelines to conduct primaries for their aspirants, the APC Chairman in Isolo LCDA, Barr. Gani Bello told ECHONEWS that there is no automatic ticket for any aspirant.
He maintained that all aspirants would go for primaries and the party would fully support anyone who emerges as the party’s candidate
He said: “In APC, we give the party back to the people, it is the people that will choose with transparency. So, the people must be ready to choose their representatives after four years. There’s no automatic ticket. The serving councillors who have done only one term are entitled to seek re-election. Everybody will go through the primaries. That’s the essence of democracy, give the party back to the people.”
He also boasted that the opposition party, PDP cannot win any political seat in the community base on his party’s preparedness for victory.
Reacting, the PDP Chairman in Oshodi-Isolo LGA, Hon. Sunday Olaifa claimed that his party is gaining momentum on daily basis which, he said, is an indication of victory at the polls, stressing that PDP will field consummate candidates for all the 26 elective posts in the LGA.
His words: “Concerning the just released election timetable, it is a welcomed development in the sense that political parties will now have a direction on what to do. We now know how to prioritise event in terms of getting ready for the election. But one would have loved it if the chairmanship is not more than N50,000, vice chairmanship N30,000 and councillorship shouldn’t be more than N20,000 as against what was announced by LASIEC but by and large, it is a welcome development.
He promised to give the ruling APC a fight.
“I can tell you that it is not going to be easy as APC thinks because it is a community-based election. We are ready. We are set to defend our votes. Talking of intimidation based on APC’s ruling status, we are not. Instead, we will defend our votes. We are not bothered. For Oshodi-Isolo, we will field reasonable and consummate candidates for all 26 elective positions. We are good to go. We will follow the guidelines of the umpire. Very soon we will fix a date for the primaries, it will be within the limit of the space given by LASIEC.”
