NDC Candidate Rejects Planned Imposition In Lagos Constituency

Lagos State House of Assembly candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency I, under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. John Ademola Akano, has protested alleged moves to impose or present an individual who did not participate in the party’s nomination process.

Akano, during a press conference held in Lagos yesterday, said he duly bought the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, completed and submitted all required documents within the stipulated period and fulfilled the conditions set by the party to contest the election, but wondered why some people were making some clandestine moves to substitute him.

He said following his qualification, he invested considerable time and resources in consultations, mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, campaign planning and grassroots outreach across Eti-Osa Constituency I ahead of the scheduled primary elections.

According to him, he acted in good faith and relied on the party’s constitution, guidelines, rules and established democratic principles governing its nomination process.

Akano expressed concern over what he described as moves to award or confer the party’s ticket on an individual who, according to him, did not purchase nomination forms, express interest in the position, participate in the screening process or subject himself to the party’s nomination procedures.

He argued that allowing such an arrangement would undermine internal democracy, fairness, transparency, equity and due process, while frustrating aspirants who complied with the party’s requirements.

The candidate maintained that the circumstances surrounding the cancellation or non-conclusion of the primary were not attributable to him.

He therefore rejected any attempt to use the cancellation of the primary as a basis for disenfranchising qualified aspirants or introducing an individual who was not part of the nomination process.

Akano said that where a primary election could not be validly concluded, the party should adopt a lawful, transparent and equitable mechanism that protects the interests of aspirants who legitimately participated in the nomination exercise.

He further alleged that Mr Rotimi Obasanjo Egbewunmi, whose name he said was being considered in connection with the House of Assembly ticket, had contested for the House of Representatives seat rather than the House of Assembly position.

“It is a matter of public record that Mr Rotimi Obasanjo Egbewunmi contested for the House of Representatives seat, not the House of Assembly seat. The evidence is clear and readily available,” he said.