22nd September, 2015
Taiwo Adelu
As part of their effort to have consensus candidates for the national elections of the Coalition of APC Support Groups, the Southwest Zone of the group Monday in Abuja elected officers who will take part in the national polls.
The election was held at the Caseg Garden, opposite GT Bank, off Wuse Market, Abuja during the Congress of the Coalition of APC Support Groups (Southwest Zone).
The election was conducted for national offices zoned to the Southwest by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Election Management Committee headed by Chris Owoicho.
At the end of the exercise, Barrister Kunle Ehinlanwo was elected as the Deputy National Chairman (South).
Ehinlawo, who got 14 votes, defeated Interim Chairman, Reverend Abraham Adebisi with 5 votes and Mrs. Margret Okunrinboye scored one vote.
Doyin Johnson was returned unopposed as the National Chairman (Southwest), so also were Ambassador Kehinde Akinsola (National Treasurer) and Hon. Kunle Jimoh (National Welfare Secretary).
Rauf Sarafadeen Olaiya stepped down for Comrade Majeed Yahaya, who was elected as the National Youth Leader.
A voice vote of the Congress ratified the posts with the conclusion to present the officers for the National Convention of the Coalition which will soon take place after other geopolitical zones have conducted their elections.
Barrister Ehinlawo in his post-election remarks applauded the unity exhibited by members of the Coalition in the Southwest, adding that the zone has blazed the trail which others must follow.
He noted that “we shall deploy all strategies to make sure that our great party wins all elections coming up before the end of the year.”
Comrade Yahaya said that the Coalition will ensure that “we consolidate on the success of APC in the last general elections. We will work very hard to bring good governance to the people of Kogi and Bayelsa states.”
The election, which was conducted by Southwest Electoral Committee headed by Prince Feyisayo Ijifusi, was witnessed by National Secretary of the Coalition, Mr. Peter Okorafor, North Central Leader of the Coalition, Musa Otigba and National Women Leader, Rev. (Mrs.) Shali.
The Coalition of APC Support Groups encompasses all independent groups that worked for the success of APC in the last general elections. It comprises about 185 groups across the country.
The Central Working Committee of the APC headed by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, represented by Chief Segun Oni, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), inaugurated the Steering Committee of the Coalition on 27 May, 2015 and directed that democratically elected national officers through an open National Convention be put in place within three months.