APC Governorship Primaries In Lagos State CACOL Cautions APC Lagos

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The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has cautioned the All Progressive Congress in Lagos over the APC Governorship Primaries in Lagos State, in a statement signed by Debo Adeniran the Executive Chairman of the group said; “Our attention has been drawn to your party’s Indirect Delegate Primaries scheduled for December 4, 2014, for all the governorship aspirants for Lagos State as well as the reaction of seven of the aspirants via a communiqué jointly issued by them, as reported on Page 22 of today’s The PUNCH newspaper edition, imploring the party leadership to reconsider its stand on the idea which, according to them, is illegal and capable of constituting an invitation to “agitation, tension and litigation”. Rather they had expressed their preference for Direct Primaries, which they consider as legal and in compliance with ”INEC regulations 2014, the Electoral Act 2010 and the constitution of our party”.
According to CACOL it said, Whilst the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) recognizes the exclusive right of any political party to fashion out its own style of internal administration; “we believe that the basic tenets of democracy which recognizes superiority of the majority in major decision-making, be given utmost consideration above any other narrow interests. And since democracy is all about the people and their inalienable right to choice-making, we want to lend our voice to urging the party leadership to reconsider its position on the process of picking a popular and acceptable candidate for the party in the forth-coming election and allow a level playing ground for all concerned.”
“Do permit us to recall that the recent Town Hall Meeting put together by CACOL in collaboration with People’s Action for Democracy (PAD) for gubernatorial aspirants from all political parties in the state, in which a good number of your aspirants participated, had its main motive in the advocacy and promotion of ‘internal democracy’ among political parties, as a veritable way of entrenching true democracy in our polity.
“From our interventions and discussions with majority of the aspirants and Lagosians, what they subscribe to is direct primary where delegates from all the wards will vote for the aspirants of their choice. The alternative will be for political parties to allow the aspirants agree among themselves on consensus candidate, not party leaders foisting their choice on the people because no matter what happen, it is they that have thrown their hats in the ring and if they concede to anyone of them or they agree among themselves who the consensus candidate would be, that will be seen to have been voluntarily done by the aspirants and that will bring about unity of purpose in governance.

Basically, all we crave for as a Coalition is a situation whereby candidate that will be presented will be credible and acceptable to members. We, as well as other well-meaning Lagosians, will be utterly disappointed, if the will of majority is not allowed to prevail. To this end we enjoin you to please ensure that internal democracy is made sacrosanct so that we will have an electoral process that will be devoid of rancour, violence and misgivings.”

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