By Damilola Kushimo
As card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) go to polls today to elect their preferred candidates for the July 24, Local Government Elections, the caretaker chairman of the party Barrister Gani Bello has urged them to be peaceful.
Bello in a chat with our correspondent noted that it is expected of the members and aspirants to exhibit professional conducts of sportsmen as he explained that the assured that the election will be a level playing ground for all aspirants.
He, however, explained that the party is fully aware of a possible crisis that might emanate from the process as some members of the party might want to cause mayhem and ultimately disrupt the process, he explained that the party has put in place maximum safety measure to curtail such as he advised members and aspirants to head to the election ground without fear or intimidation.
He also gave a strong advice to those nurturing any form of misconduct to jettison the idea as he emphasised that the consequences for them will not be likely.
He noted that every members and aspirants should see themselves as family members and not enemies as he emphasised that the actual contest is against other parties and not within members of the party.
He called on the various aspirants and their teeming supporters to be orderly during the exercise and should be ready to work with whoever wins the primaries in the July 24 election.
“Aspirants and their supporters should see themselves as members of the same party; the same family because after the primary election we are going to work together for the proper election coming up on the 24th of July. They should not make it a do or die affair. As sportsmen, they must know how to concede victory and defeat and those who make it must give glory to God and thank the party for organising transparent, free and fair primaries.
“This is an APC affair and we are still going to face a bigger battle on the 24 of July and I think we need to keep ourselves together as one so that we can defeat our opponents. Members who are in this contest are not enemies but brothers and sisters and our opponent are PDP and other parties we don’t have an opponent in APC.
“Well, we are aware that some disgruntled elements might want to exhibit their acts of misconduct but the party is on top of security of all members and anybody who tries to disrupt the polls will be dealt with severely but I’m sure Isolo people are responsible and law-abiding and I expect them to keep up with that in the exercise.”
According to the results of the screening and appeal, five chairmanship aspirants will be locking their horns for the party’s ticket today while 13 councillors aspirants will be jostling for the party’s ticket for any of the seven political wards in the council.
The chairmanship aspirants are the incumbent council vice-chairman Hon. Adebayo Olasoju, the former House of Representatives member Hon. Akeem Muniru, the former council vice-chairman Hon Mojeeb Adam, Hon. Toheeb Aregbeshola and Hon Taohee Taiwo.
There is only one aspirant each for Alagbeji and Ishagatedo/Ire-Akari Wards both of whom are incumbent namely, Hon. Olanrewaju Kayode (Chief Whip) and Hon. Abiodun Odusina-Adeoye (Deputy majority leader).
There are two aspirants each for Akinbaiye, Apena, Okota and Ilasamaja Wards and they are Hon. Abolaji Yusuf and Hon. Idris Babatunde Amusa (Akinbaiye Ward), the council leader Hon. Remy Shittu Remy and Hon. Yusuf Agbabiaka (Apena Ward), Hon. Kanayo Osondu and Hon. Taiwo Bukola Anthony (Okota) while the deputy leader Hon. Akeem Adeyemi will be battling it out with the supervisory councillor for health Hon. Nofisat Shobayo-Lawal in Ilasamaja Ward.
Two other aspirants – Hon. Adeolu Ikugbayigbe and Hon. Kehinde Adedamola Adenusi will be contesting against the incumbent; Hon. Chidiebere Iheasirim for the party’s ticket in Ajao Estate.
Below are the venues and guidelines of the elections:
For Alagbeji Ward the election will be held in Mini Stadium in LSDPC Estate, Ile-Iwe meta while for Akinbaiye Ward, Akinbaiye Primary School on Ilesanmi Street is the citing ground.
For Ilasamaja Ward, the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) on Ogunbowale Street is the venue while the Area Office of the council on Dibor Street, Okota is the venue for Okota Ward.
Ajumoni Senior Grammar School on Dibor Street and Ire-Akari Estate Model primary School on Ugali Street beside Ire-Akari PHC are the venues for Apena and Ishagatedo/Ire-Akari Wards, respectively.
Ajao Estate Primary school along Fatai Irawo street is the venue for Ajao Estate.
According to the voting process, each aspirant is expected to have one accredited agent.
Aspirants or their agents shall present and may bring their posters as identification to the venue of the primary and there shall be no canvassing of vote at the accreditation venue.
Accredited members shall vote by open-secret ballot at the designated venue in the ward and the aspirant with the highest numbers of votes shall be announced winner accordingly.
Upon accreditation, a party member shall be given two ballot papers (One for chairmanship and one for Councillorship).
The party member shall proceed to a prepared table to write the names of his/her choice without letting anyone see and drop the papers in relevant ballot box.
No party member shall vote more than one aspirant and where the vote cast exceeds the number of accredited party members the election shall be declared void by the committee and the exercise repeated.
