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Renowned socio-political activist and Lagos Central PDP senatorial aspirant, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri has alleged that the state’s party (PDP) structure has been hijacked by the ruling APC.
He has therefore called on the PDP National Working Committee to urgently wade into the matter before it snowballed into a crisis which might tear the party apart.
He said the future of Lagos State PDP was already bleak and very discouraging. The ruling APC through its hatchet man had commandeered the State chapter with the influx of APC members at the venue of the just-concluded Lagos State Gubernatorial primaries election.”
According to Onitiri, thousands of known APC members allegedly took over the venue of the PDP primaries held on Wednesday 25th day of May 2022 through a Governorship aspirant, whom he said, joined the party six months ago.
“That indeed was a day many old PDP members would live to remember. What was most shocking was that man that said he came in peace. But within a short time he had shown his true colours and plans to hijack the party’s structure.
“Delegates of the party were sidelined by the people that just came into the party a few months ago, in connivance with PDP leaders known for a history of working against the party during elections,Onitiri further alleged.
“In spite of the state Executive’s objection to the skewed adhoc list, they forced their way to ensure that their candidate emerged winners, even with clear objections from all other aspirants.
He pleaded with the NWC to wade into this matter before it snowballed into a major crisis as JANDOR followers who joined the party six months ago, had allegedly started boating to have taken over the structure and had full powers over the affairs of the party.
“The PDP Presidential candidate and other statutory bodies should as a matter of urgency, call the committee to order for the survival of the party” the social critic warned.
He observed that all the Lagos State Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate Primary elections just concluded were in shambles.
The whole exercise was a complete sham and a charade, as it was predetermined and the committee only came to execute what he called personal agenda. The adhoc delegate list was not followed. No accreditation was carried out. The election venues were changed arbitrarily, he asserted.
Onitiri explained that the venues were picked by the favoured candidates of the “APC moles”. The elections were not free, fair and credible. Venues were picked by the favoured candidates as against the venues picked and paid for by the Lagos state Exco.
Favoured candidates paid for their venues and accepted by the warped election committees. The election committees were picked by the favoured candidates.
He urged the National body to act fast because according to him, the primary elections were not transparent and credible. No internal democracy in the elections.
“The Adhoc list brought to Lagos State was made to favour one candidate. It was a big fraud and total sell out.
“Definitely our great party has been sold to APC. The 2023 elections will be APC vs APC in Lagos State and will greatly disappoint Lagosians who are desperately yearning for a change in the state.
The elders in Lagos PDP unfortunately not focused on victory. A pity!
Onitiri added that the credibility of the gubernatorial primary was further eroded when four of the six contestants withdrew.
“There is obviously a grave problem in Lagos State PDP chapter. All the known stakeholders in the party have been sidelined,” he added.