APC excos disclaim fraudulent use of members' names

dimeji akinloye

May 26, 2017 12:24 AM

The party in the two LG areas accused an ex-council chairman, Jubril Abdulkareem, and a lawmaker, Taofiq Adaranijo of parading non-APC members as the party excos.

Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi

The Executive Committee members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in

A former Agege council chairman, Hon. Jubril Abdulkareem, and a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Hon. Taofiq Adaranijo, are allegedly parading non-APC members as the party excos.

This was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by the exco members of the APC in Agege and Orile-Agege, Mr. Lucky Samuel (JP), and Femi Falade respectively.

According to the statement, the reason for the alleged impersonation was to facilitate the emergence of Abdulkareem and Adaranijo's favoured candidates as Chairmanship and councillorship candidates of APC in the two councils by disenfranchising the real exco members.

The excos accused Abdulkareem and Adaranijo of sponsoring campaign of calumny against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.

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They said at a press briefing in Lagos, the accused persons hired thugs to carry placards bearing slandering inscriptions against Obasa and Afikuyomi.

The statement reads in part, "Our attention has been drawn to a press briefing organised by Hon. Taofiq Adaranijo and Hon. Jubril Abdulkareem held on Wednesday at Blue Roof Hall, Ibido Street, Agege, where some disgruntled non-Exco members of our great party, and avowed members of the Peoples Democratic Party, were paraded before newsmen as APC Ecxo members in Agege and Orile-Agege.

"In the clip of the event in our possession, Adaranijo and Abdulkareem are seen lambasting the party's apex body over its decision to conduct the party primary outside Agege like other local government areas to forestall wanton destruction of lives and property that may occur following bitter rivalry the party primary for council election has generated across the state.

"Worst hit by their verbal attacks were the Chairman, Electoral Committee for the party primary, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

"We wish to state categorically and unequivocally that we are not party to the verbal abuse hauled at our highly respected leaders. We condemn their shenanigans, and their anti-democratic tendency in strong terms.

"As we look forward to the day of the primary when we will make our choice in the open and not in 'other room', the general public and stakeholders are hereby advised to ignore anyone or group of persons purporting to represent APC Excos in Agege and Orile-Agege."

The accused were not immediately available for comment as at the time of filing this report.

dimeji akinloye