Victor EzejaConcerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II have protested the outcome of last primary in which Hon. Jude Idimogu who represents the area in the Lagos State House of Assembly was according to them, denied ticket to contest in the 2023 election.
Idimogu who currently represents the people of Oshodi/Isolo State Constituency II in the state assembly, reportedly scored zero vote during the party primary on Saturday, 28 May, which involved delegate voting.
His main challenger, Mr Oladipo Ajomale, was said to have swept the entire 30 votes from the 30 party delegates to emerge winner of the poll.
The lawmaker first got elected into the office in 2015, becoming the first Igbo man to clinch the position in Lagos, and was re-elected for another term in 2019.
The party members called on the leadership of the party to ensure that the lawmaker returns to the House to complete his second term on the platform of the APC, warning that faliure to do so might cost the party victory in the Constituency.
They urged the APC leadership to ensure fairness in the choice of candidates to be presented for the 2023 elections in the Constituency.
They specifically said it is unacceptable that two aspirants vying for House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly should come from the same electoral ward and polling unit in Okota, and expressed fear that the manner the primary election was conducted could deny the party of having what it desires in the constituency.
The party faithfuls urged the APC leaders in Lagos to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2015 poll where the party lost elections because it fielded wrong candidates.
Speaking to newsmen on the matter, a former Secretary of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Chief Olu Arologun wondered why both the candidates vying for Federal House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly could be chosen from the same ward and polling unit.
Chief Arologun said such electoral move amounts to marginalisation of Ejigbo people whom he claimed has the highest number of voters notwithstanding that it has only one ward.
He urged the leaders to carry all along in every decision they are making, saying, “When a leader is doing something, don’t personalize it, bring it to the table, invite the leaders together, you can’t do it alone, it’s not possible.
“There’s nothing impossible in politics, you have to carry people along, so that you don’t mess yourself up.”
Another party member, Hon. Kolawole Fashola expressed dissatisfaction at the way Hon. Idimogu was treated in the primary, noting that such was not what community leaders expected.
“Jude has been representing us well. We are dismayed by what is happening now. it’s not what we expect from those we call our leaders especially APC leaders in this Community. Though he may be an Igbo man, but that’s not the issue. What we want is a good and quality representation.
“Since that day the report filtered that there are subterranean moves to deny Hon Idimogu ticket, we are not happy about it. We believe Lagos should be used as a yardstick to express what unity and love to one another is all about.
“You have to allow others around you free hand to governance,” Fashola stated.
Commenting on the allocation of the ticket, he said, “I don’t see how one ward will claim two positions of house of Assembly and house of Representatives, I dont know how it’s going to work, I don’t know how they are going to do it.”
Prince Adewoyin Sunday who told correspondents that he had lived in the constituency for over 42 year and knew the political terrain of Ejigbo very well, said the leaders should beware of the aftermath of denying Idimogu the ticket to return for the second term in the party.
He said, “What they have done by the way we are hearing the tickets are being decided in this Oshodi/Isolo. The leaders should think of the aftermath of their action.
“I can recollect that in 2015, our vote was so low, Asiwaju called me, asked if I was still in the area that our presidential vote was low. I promised him we will work on it. Thank God in 2019, our selection of Jude Idimogu was right, it paid off.
“Jude came and improved the voting strength of this area, I pray his efforts will not be in vain.”
“We want the right thing to be done so that our party will excel once more.
Four years is very short. This last primary was a sham. It was not people oriented primary.
“One thing is to win primary, another thing is to win the general election that is more tedious. That is why we need to think fast and wisely so that our efforts will not be in vain,” Prince Sunday stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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