MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF AD LAGOS GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE’S FILE AT INEC Is there any possibility that someone or some people somewhere are working to block the participation of AD - Alliance for Democracy’s candidate, Bolaji Ogunseye in the forthcoming Lagos guber election? This is, at least, what the AD candidate himself suspects, considering the fact that some unknown persons invaded his home just under two weeks ago, and now his governorship, duly submitted file with INEC headquarters in Abuja, which according to party sources, had been duly completed and submitted to INEC headquarters in Abuja, is missing. That is why his name and AD did not appear in the recently published list of Lagos State governorship candidates that appeared on-line and in the Nation newspaper, among other media sources. According to the party’s sources, INEC issued to AD a Form CF002, which confirms proper submission of a candidate’s papers by a party. A copy of INEC’s submission-clearance form issued on Mr. Ogunseye’s governorship form is also confirmed to be with INEC’s PPMN Office in Abuja. Another copy of the same clearance document is said to also be with INEC’s Legal Screening Committee. So, why would Bolaji Ogunseye’s file be missing in the same INEC office? Alliance for Democracy – AD, which, from 1999, was the second largest party in Nigeria, and the ruling party in all the Southwest States, including Lagos, has just re-emerged to contest elections after an 8-year old crisis, which saw its fortunes dwindle in the national political scene. Analysts believe that the exodus of those who used to be key players in the party until 2007, led to the decline in the party’s position nationwide, and that this background crisis may also be responsible for some of the current apparent attempts to frustrate the Lagos governorship bid of the party in the upcoming 2015 election. In a chat with the Lagos State party Chairman, Mr. Kola Ajayi, it was revealed that most key members of the two big parties in Lagos were all previously in AD, and that APC, in particular, has serious reason to be afraid of the re-emergence of the party to contest the 2015 elections, especially in Lagos. The chairman said he was confident that the revival of AD will start the decline of the fortunes of APC. He reeled out a long list of previous AD members who are now big shots in APC and even PDP. The list included APC leader, former AD Governor, Chief. Bola Tinubu, former AD Senator, Musiliu Obanikoro, former AD Senator, ‘Seye Ogunlewe, former AD Governorship aspirant, Jimi Agbaje, and many others in both parties. The chairman also pointed out that the AD and Afenifere leadership in 1999 made a strategic error when they dumped Funsho Williams, who won the AD governorship primaries, for Bola Tinubu, who later broke up Afenifere and has since been trying to ensure the death or disappearance of AD. Asked if he thought the ex-AD members he listed, including Chief Bola Tinubu, might be behind the sudden disappearance of Bolaji Ogunseye’s governorship nomination file at INEC, Mr. Ajayi said he could not rule out such suspicion. He said the party had learnt its lesson after Bola Tinubu, who was unknown to the party was allowed to come in the last minute and hijack the party’s candidacy from Funsho Williams, an active start-up member of AD in Lagos State. What happened after that? ‘Bola Tinubu, a man unknown to AD in 1998, but who unfairly got Funsho Williams’ AD candidate slot – did he not later use and dump AD?, Ajayi asked. According to him, Bolaji Ogunseye has been a key funder and benefactor of AD’s revival for almost 3 years, and he’s by far the best among all the candidates vying for the Lagos governorship. ‘. . AD invites you, members of the media, to do a thorough check of what experience each of the candidates is bringing to the ambition to become Governor of Lagos, a very complex and challenging State to govern’, the AD chairman noted. He said Ogunseye is the only candidate in the race who combines private sector experience (Shell), with government-service experience (CEO of the most important Government Agency in Rivers State) and international development work experience across many countries, including international development work experience at the United Nations. ‘No amount of effort by those who are afraid of AD’s revival, to frustrate Ogunseye’s candidacy, or threaten his life, can prevent AD from fielding him in the 2015 governorship election’, the AD chairman concluded.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 14:31:27 +0000
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