THE 22 man Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), of Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday announced that the party will be adopting the direct primary approach in picking the party’s governorship candidate, come this Saturday, September 29, 2018, assuring the three aspirants jostling for the top political post in the state on the party platform a level playing field in an exercise
The three contenders are; the incumbent, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; three-time commissioner in the state, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu and Dr Babafemi Hamzat, who is also former Commissioner for Works under former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.
GAC, which is the highest decision making organ of the party, headed by the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said this at a press conference which took place at the APC State’s Secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja, urging every aspirant to go to the field and test their popularity with the people in an exercise that will be holding in 245 wards across the 57 councils in the state.
Briefing the media on the official stance of GAC at the meeting held last Saturday, Dr Yomi Finnih, the spokesperson for the council, affirmed that the council unanimously adopted direct primaries to pick all APC candidates out of all the aspirants jostling for elective posts in 2019.
ALSO READ:Â APC took for granted powers of NASS, Oshiomhole laments
According to him, this also includes those who are interested in contesting governorship position on the party platform, even as he assured that all necessary machinery had been put in place to ensure a peaceful, free and fair exercise for all the contenders without fair or favour to any particular person.
“The GAC members at the last meeting held during the weekend deliberated on how to conduct peacefully, the forthcoming party primaries. We decided to adopt direct primary elections to choose candidates as flag-bearer of the party in the 2019 general elections,” he said.
This was just as he dismissed insinuation in some quarters, declaring: “It is not Tinubu’s affair as been peddled around in the social media and some quarters.”
According to Finnih, the GAC has no preferred candidates among the gubernatorial aspirants, reiterating that it was not about Tinubu, but about a collective decision.
“We resolved to provide a level-playing ground for the contenders without fair or favour,” he said.
“The adoption of the direct primary is to further democratise the election process in the party and do away with the usual belief of anointed candidate(s) (Baba so pe). This will also ensure credible exercise.
“Every aspirant should go to the field and test their popularity, the people will decide,” the APC chieftain added.
Membership of GAC is made up of the governor and leaders of the party across the three senatorial districts of the state.
They are the APC chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun; Dr Olorunfemi Bashorun, Senator Anthony Adefuye, Prof. Tunde Samuel, former Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, Cardinal James Odumbaku aka Baba Eto, Chief Lanre Razak, Dr Yomi Finnih among others.