Politics

JUST IN: APC Committee Bars Sanwo-Olu’s Challenger From Primary Venue

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2022

The Lagos State Governorship Primary Election Committee of the All Progressives Congress, on Thursday, barred one of the aspirants from the venue of the primary at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island, The PUNCH authoritatively reports.

The PUNCH learnt that the committee prevented one of the contenders of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha, from the venue.

Mustapha, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Minerals Resources in Lagos, resigned 14 months ago and had picked up the N50m governorship form of the party.

It was gathered that the committee chaired by a former deputy governor of Borno State, Shettima Yuguda, claimed that Mustapha was not cleared by the screening committee of the party.

However, the aspirant told The PUNCH that he was in Abuja two weeks ago for the screening though the result was not announced.

He said the Secretary of the primary election committee, Bashir Mohammed, turned him back on Thursday, saying that he was not cleared and as such cannot be given accreditation access to the venue.

Mustapha said, “We were told that we were not cleared by the leadership of the party and as such, they only gave accreditation tags to those that were cleared.

“We went to Abuja for clearance two weeks ago. The results of the clearance were not communicated to us.

“We went to the APC state secretariat at Acme Road yesterday (Wednesday), we tried to get our accreditation tags but we were not given. We were there till 7am this morning before going to the venue of the primary.”

Efforts to reach Yuguda, Mohammed and another member of the committee, Tilewa Sijuade, proved abortive as of press time as calls to their lines rang out.

Also, APC chairman for Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, did not take his calls as of press time.

Sanwo-Olu, the anointed aspirant of APC leader, Bola Tinubu, is seeking re-election. He is in the race with Mustapha; and Wale Oluwo, a former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources in Lagos who is also an ally of ex-governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

‘Nobody should be compelled into a consensus arrangement’
Mustapha had, in an interview with The PUNCH, said Lagosians deserve better than they get under Sanwo-Olu.

“After the End SARS riot, that incident broke something in me; something that was very personal and there were two ways I could go: it is either I go to the present government and told there is nothing that can be done or I say, ‘Let’s do what can be salvaged’. How can this over 70 per cent population that is alienated, angry, disconnected and that doesn’t have any stake in the economy or the way the country is being governed, how can we do something to attract them.”

He had insisted on going to the polls and noted that he won’t agree with any consensus arrangement. “Let’s go to the field and test our popularity. Nobody should be compelled into a consensus arrangement,” he said.

On why he was challenging his former boss, he said, “Because we strongly believe we have a better model that will help further accelerate the development of the state. There is a Master Plan put in place by Asiwaju (Tinubu), built on by BRF (Babatunde Raji Fashola), and built on by (Akinwunmi) Ambode. If other states are going at 3%, Lagos should be going at 9% to account for the mirage challenges in healthcare, education, energy and other sectors.

“We believe passionately that we have a better model and it that belief that is propelling us. I have some experience working for the City of New York, and understanding how the city was put together. Such model is really transmittable and we can accelerate the development of Lagos State.”

Related Topics:#Lagos APC Babajide Sanwo-Olu

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Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

16 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”

Politics

Only A Formidable Coalition Can Salvage Nigeria, Says Peter Obi

Published

16 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has given his full support for the coalition of opposition parties aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s rule in 2027.

He explained that it was a fact that no single group can change Nigeria alone, hence the need for people to come together to pursue the goal.

The former Amambra State Governor said this in a post on his verified X handle, on Thursday.

He said this just as the Julia Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given him 48 hours within which to formally resign from the party or risk expulsion.

Obi in his post wrote, “Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first.

REAS ALSO: Peter Obi Speaks As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Production

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy. A New Nigeria is Possible. -PO.”

Politics

I Don’t Owe Anybody Explanation On Truce With Fubara – Wike

Published

20 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, declared that peace has returned to his home state, Rivers, saying he does not owe anyone an explanation on the terms of the truce.

Wike disclosed this during a Media chat monitored in Abuja.

According to him, several people had turned the crisis in Rivers State into an “oil well”, from which they were drawing illicit funds for their selfish interests, saying such fifth columnists are no longer happy that he has reconciled with the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Details later…