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Violence mars APC ward congress in Isolo LCDA

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…it is due to lack of preparation at local level – Olaleye

By Abolaji Adebayo

Chairman, Isolo LCDA, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye

The wards congress of All Progressive Congress (APC) was not successful across the seven wards in Isolo Local council Development Area (LCDA) today as violence broke out in virtually all the congress centers among factional groups.

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One of the wounded boys at Ishaga ward F4

For instance, at Ishaga ward F4 the fracas broke out around 12:30pm when some political tugs started fighting one another. This scared away the members who were already on ground to cast their votes for their favourite candidates, especially as guns were being shot and some warring factional remembers were maimed and wounded.

Similar situation was recorded in some other wards although without the use of weapons. Alagbeji ward, the congress was termed a kangaroo as no opposition candidates were present at the congress. The exercise was held by the members of just one faction without involvement of other contenders. When Echonews visited the ward, it was observed that the election was held for the candidates of just only one faction.

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Another wounded boy at Ishaga ward F4

The exercise was later faulted when another candidate contesting for the post of ward chairman later learned what was going on and rushed to the center. It took the intervention of the police to tame the fracas at the center as our correspondent and the INEC officer were almost molested by the angry group who taught they were part of the other group that conducted the election.

 

Party members waiting to vote at ward F2

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Earlier, at about 12noon, the congress did not start at any center throughout the seven wards.at Ilashamaja ward F2, the security of the school, which was supposed to be the congress center refused to open the school gate, claiming that he didn’t receive any directives from the school authority to that effect.

The Counselor representing the ward, Hon, Akeem Alarape told Echonews that it would be recorded that the congress did not hold in that ward if the security man was adamant. He maintained it would not be possible to hold the congress on the street.

At Ishaga ward F4, the delay of the congress was due to the non-availability of the electoral officers before the war-like scuffle later broke out at the center.

Earlier while speaking with Echonews, the Counselor representing the ward predicted that there would be no violence looking at the way people were calm, assuring that the congress would be peaceful at the center, ironically, the center turned to be a blood-shedding one.

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Hon, Akeem Alarape

Although. there was no fight at Akinbaye ward F1 and the sitting APC ward chairman, prince Agbabiaka Monsuru claimed that they had concluded the election by the time our correspondent got to the center, it was learned that the violence going on around the center also disrupted the exercise and as such, the exercise was inconclusive. Some even claimed that there was no electoral officer to accredit and monitor the said election.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of isolo LCDA, Hon. Shamsudeen Aboidun Olaleye said that the reason for the unsuccessful congress in Isolo was due to lack of preparation by the party leaders at the local levels.

He also claimed that the notice for the congress was too short, which did not give the concerned people the put things in order prior to the congress.

Commenting on the fracas that loomed in almost all the congress centers, Olaleye said that inability to harmonize the various factional groups in the party.

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According to him, some factions that wanted to claim supremacy over others believed their candidates must be the winners at all cost.

He believed that if the factions could be harmonized, there wouldn’t have been any kind of misunderstanding that could have led to such war as witnessed during today’s congress.

He said, “Lack of proper preparation by the party leaders at the local level caused the reason why we didn’t have successive congress in Isolo LCDA today. The leader did not do what they were supposed to do before the congress.

“In addition, we were given short time notice for this congress. And for the violence that broke out, it was caused by ego or supremacy by some factions we want to gain recognitions.”

However, the LCDA chairman submitted that they would table the matter at the state level where everything could be harmonized for them to have a successful congress.

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He said that there were factions in the other local government areas such as Oshodi and Ejigbo, but they have harmonized.

Meanwhile, the local council boss appreciated the effort of the security agents especially the police, saying their intervention had curtailed the violence in some centers.

Corroborating the chairman’s statement, the Consultant to the Executive Chairman on Media and Publicity, Lanre Olaleye, said that there is no way there would not be faction but they must always harmonized for the development of the party.

He also believed that the issue at Isolo LCDA would be controlled and that the community would be better in term of politics as soon as the matter is taken to the state level.

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