MOST of the senatorial and House of Representatives’ aspirants on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos State yesterday got the party’s tickets for the April general elections unopposed.
The stage for a smooth ride for the aspirants was set by the party’s leadership, which came to the venue of the election with a few forms, which were eventually given to only the successful candidates.
The selection process led to the wife of former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oluremi, picking the ticket for Lagos Senatorial District; Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Lands, Olugbenga Ashafa (Lagos East); and Senator Gani Olanrewaju Solomon (Lagos West).
Even though there was no real voting, thousands of the party members thronged the ACN secretariat in Ikeja, venue of the primaries.
At the time of filing this report, the primaries were yet to end but former Head of Service in the state, Mr. Yakub Balogun, was set to clinch the ticket for the House of Representatives to represent Lagos Island federal constituency. Babatunde Adejare will represent the party for the Agege federal constituency, as he was unopposed.
Other aspirants for the Lower House, whom the odd favoured included James Faleke and Solomon Adeola.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Ikuforiji Adeyemi, was also returned unopposed for the Ikeja constituency.
Poor crowd control almost disrupted the primaries as security agents closed Acme Road, Ikeja, where the party secretariat is located, which left motorists stranded. Hundreds of party supporters were locked outside the premises while hoodlums struggled to get into the secretariat.
An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was parked at a junction on the road while dozens of policemen were drafted to the area to ensure security. Some members of the party were beaten up by the police, which turned the venue rowdy.
Some disappointed aspirants described the primaries as a “mere jamboree.” They said the exercise lacked internal democracy because delegates were not allowed to vote for the candidates of the choice. One of them said: “There is nothing like internal democracy in this party. The leadership is only selecting and imposing candidates on the people.”
At 5 p.m. yesterday, only delegates from six of the 57 local councils and development areas had voted.
Abike Dabiri Erewa is slugging it out with Lanre Balogun for the Lower House in the Ikorodu federal constituency.
The primaries continue today with the governorship race where incumbent holder of the office, Babatunde Fashola, has no rival.
The opposition parties in the state have also risen up to the challenge as more than 26 political parties in Lagos State have aligned with All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to contest against the popular Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2011 general elections.
The Convener, Coalition of Lagos State Opposition Political Parties, (COLASOPP) Dr. Adegbola Dominic said this at a press briefing that it would ensure that APGA won most elective seats in the state.
Dominic, who refused to mention the names of the parties for what he called “strategic reasons,” said the goal of COLASOPP is to dislodge ACN from the government of Lagos in the next dispensation.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35354:acn-gives-automatic-senatorial-tickets-to-tinubus-wife-others-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
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Fashola, Remi Tinubu others, get Automatic ACN Tickets
Fashola, Remi Tinubu others, get Automatic ACN Tickets
NigerianEye
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Thursday, January 13, 2011
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