As the
forthcoming local government election in Lagos State
Sources close to
the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu revealed last week
that after assuring the chairmen of the 57 local councils and local council
development areas, who have just spent only one term in office of automatic
return ticket, he also asked them to part with some money before they could be
cleared by the party leadership.
Our
investigations revealed that Jagan Borgu, as ex-governor Tinubu is also called,
told the chairmen to pay a levy of N20 million each if they wanted to go back
to their seats.
The money, we
were told, is non-refundable and the chairmen were allegedly told that anyone,
whose record of performance is below expectation or who is rejected by his
people, would not be fielded in the election slated for October, 2011.
One of our
reliable informant maintained that the affected chairmen have since paid the
money and have faced the party's screening committee at the party secretariat
on ACME Road Lagos
Unlike in the
past, when Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State was totally saddled with the
responsibility of recommending those to be picked from the councils as
chairmanship candidates, Asiwaju Tinubu is reported to be in-charge this time
around and this is not for free as we were informed.
“Tinubu told
those interested in second term to pay N20 million each and they have no choice
than to pay. This is apart from the fee they paid to the party for the
nomination forms. Not less than 40 of the 57 local council chairmen are
returning and that means the man must have collected about N800 million from
the politicians and the money is non-refundable. If you are not given ticket by
the party, it means you have lost out despite all the money you spent. You know
Tinubu is now in-charge because Aregbesola who he used to trust with the job is
now busy as the Governor of Osun State,” a source offered.
That
notwithstanding, intense lobbying is said to be going-on within the party as no
one is sure of who would be picked ultimately when the final list is eventually
released.
There have been
cases of some chairmen, who sources said have been told outright that they
would not be fielded by the party in the election due to their abysmal
performances.
The ACN, sources
said, is being more careful this time around as the main opposition party in
the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is participating in the election
unlike what happened in 2008, when the PDP opted out of the local council polls
due to the inclusion of the 37 LCDAs in the election. The PDP has insisted then
that election should take place in only 20 local government areas that are
recognized by the constitution, but the ACN was adamant. The latter maintained
that elections would take place in all the 20 local councils and 37 LCDAs, and
the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) went ahead with the
election as ordered by the state government. The rest is now history as the ACN
clinched all the seats in the 57 local councils including the councillorship
seats.
To avert
disgrace at the polls, sources revealed that the ACN has started taking stock
and chairmen, who are believed to have performed below expectations, are being
screened out.
According to the
grapevine, two of the six chairmen in the old Alimosho Local Government have
been given red cards and have been told to start preparing their handing over
notes.
One of the
affected chairmen, who is said to be a cleric, was told pointedly, according to
sources, not to expect a return ticket as he could not boast of any development
in the semi-urban council in the three years he spent in the office.
The chairman, we
gathered squandered council funds and he never bothered to listen to pieces of
advice from council workers and party leaders.
In Lekki Local
Council Development Area, the residents had rejected the return of the
incumbent Chairman of the council, Ganiyu Olaiya Raheem.
Addressing
pressmen recently, the Oni Lekki of Lekki, Oba Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun said that
the traditional rulers in the area heard with utter dismay the proposition of
Raheem as the returned Chairmanship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) in the coming local government election.
There are
several other cases of maladministration in some other councils and the ACN is
reported to be taking its time to stop any chairman, who performed below
expectations.
“It is not going
to be business as usual. Tinubu has instructed those in charge of the selection
to go round the councils and assess the development there and interview the
residents as well as the party leaders in the councils. This will form part of
the final decisions of the party and any chairman who is found wanting would
not be given ticket to prevent the party from losing at the polls since the PDP
is contesting the elections this time around,” said a source.
However, an
informant, who is close to ex-governor Bola Tinubu debunked the inducement
allegation. He informed that the aspirants collected forms from the party and
paid the necessary dues, adding that it would be an insult for somebody of
Tinubu's caliber to stoop so low to ask the chairmen to give him money before
they are cleared for elections.
“Tinubu is an
incorruptible leader. He has served well as governor for eight years and God
has blessed him with resources, even before he became a public officer. He
couldn't have stooped so low to ask some council chairmen to give him money.
Where on earth does he expect the chairmen to get that kind of money? I don't
think the story is true. ACN is a party of discipline and Tinubu is our symbol,
any chairman, who is not selected at the end of the exercise may have performed
below expectation and we will not pick someone we cannot trust with that office
because local council is the closest to the grassroots,” he stated.
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