Fashola: APC Presidential Primaries Model for Democracy in Africa osundefender.org/?p=200065 Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has described the recently concluded presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a model for democracy in Africa. Fashola spoke at a State dinner held in honour of the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, and the incumbent Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade. He said the primary, which was won by retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was free, fair and credible, according to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report. “As we celebrate these women, we are also sending out a statement to the whole of our nation that in this state and in this city, that our integrity is more valuable to us than all of our personal lives. We are building a country that our children will be proud to inherit from us and that one day they can look back and say thank you for helping us build this country. “From this city, we have sent a strong message about the politics that we will also play. If I am not mistaken, our gubernatorial primaries had the largest number of aspirants but we conducted it without rancour. None of the candidates who contested have come out to say that the primaries were rigged or that there were more voters than those who were accredited. A candidate has emerged and we are moving on. “From Lagos, against all the odds, we played host in the last 48 hours to a party’s national convention and primaries that were a model for democracy for the whole of Africa. They are very strong statements that we are sending out that we can live by example. They are statements that make us stand tall,” he added. Fashola commended the honourees, who are children of the late Justice James Williams, for their contributions to the advancement of the justice sector. He announced that the National Judicial Council had approved the appointment of three more judges for the state barely a month after four others were inaugurated. The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said the succession of Phillips by Atilade was historic. “It is a first that sisters will succeed each other as chief judge in the history of the judiciary in Nigeria.” Other speakers including Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Mr. Alex Mouka, the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos branch also lauded the sisters. On her part, Atilade said her administration would be focused on improving the justice delivery system. She therefore sued for more cooperation between the judiciary and the other arms of government to achieve the objective.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:10:33 +0000
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