28th May, 2017
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Local Government Electoral Committee, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi has disclosed that the councillorship primaries will hold throughout the 377 Wards across the 57 local governments in Lagos State.
Afikuyomi made the disclosure in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday against the backdrop of reports in some sections of the media that the local government primaries at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere were disrupted by a few aggrieved party members from two local governments in the State.
“It has become imperative to state for avoidance of doubt that the councillorship primaries will hold as planned in all the 377 wards in Lagos State on Monday 29, May 2017. Today, I have just met with all of our electoral officials. I have met with all of our Sole Administrators on logistics and security. Indeed, we are set for tomorrow. We are undaunted by any challenge.”
Afikuyomi also described the isolated incident involving a few aggrieved members of the party at the venue as grossly exaggerated.
“The fact that I was at work till very late in the night with my team on Saturday, and the fact that I have been up and about since 4am on Sunday for the same purpose cannot logically support the unfortunate media reports that Senator Afikuyomi was beaten to stupor with his head broken.”
Afikuyomi thanked members of the party within and outside of Nigeria as well as non-partisan members of the business community who have since called or visited him to ascertain the veracity of the report.
The Senator appealed to any aggrieved member of the party to take advantage of the conflict resolution mechanisms provided by the party.
He further called on all members of the party at the ward levels to make themselves available at the designated centres where the councillorship elections will hold tomorrow, saying adequate arrangements have been made for security across the State.
“We are determined to see this process through. We are resolving genuine complaints by decent members of the party almost on a daily basis. Our overall strategic objective is to ensure that the current wave of rapid infrastructure development being witnessed across the State can be cascaded to the grassroots by elected chairmen in all the 57 local governments of Lagos State. This is the reason I took up this assignment. This is what I have chosen to give to my dear state.”