Lagos APC gov primary: Mustapha challenges Sanwo-Olu’s victory

Mustapha Olorunfemi

Mr Ahmed Olorunfemi Mustapha, one of the two governorship aspirants disqualified by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to partake in the primary that produced Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the party’s governorship candidate in the coming 2023 polls, has called for the cancellation of the exercise while demanding for a fresh poll on account that the exercise was allegedly rigged for the victor.

Mustapha, a former Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, made the call at the weekend in a statement made available to newsmen, even as he detailed how he was locked out of exercise and the efforts he made to obtain the outcome of the screening exercise held in Abuja, till the day of the primary conducted in Lagos, without success.

According to him, the fresh exercise should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner, noting that APC “is a beacon of truth and hope for us and future generations,” and, therefore, should not and must not be seen as condoning such high-level impunity in its operation.

This was just as he expressed his firm belief that the right step would be taken by the leadership of the ruling APC, urging teeming supporters and well-wishers to remain calm as he explored all the necessary party mechanisms to redress what he termed “these glaring irregularities.”

It would be recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu, in the governorship primary held last Thursday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in the Onikan area of the state, won the exercise, polling a total of 1,170 votes.

“I strongly request that the exercise as carried out be nullified and a fresh exercise be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner in the state.

“The All Progressives Congress is a beacon of truth and hope for us and future generations. It should not and must not be seen as condoning such high-level impunity in its operation. It is my firm belief that the right step would be taken by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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“I wish to implore our teeming supporters and well-wishers to remain calm while we explore all the necessary party mechanisms to redress these glaring irregularities,” he said.

Detailing how he lost out to alleged partisan shenanigans, Mustapha who was locked out of the exercise said, “The screening report was scheduled to be published not later than Sunday, May 15, 2022.

“I protested via a letter dated the 24th of May 2022 on the non-publication of the screening report which was not done before the gubernatorial congress of 26th May 2022.

“I had the impression that all was well and continued with my consultations onward to ward basis in the State. My profile during the consultation increased exponentially amongst delegates, party faithful and the good people of Lagos State at large. I made several efforts at getting the details of the process at the National and the State Party headquarters but all efforts met brick walls.”

Speaking on the lock-out story on the day the primary was held at Onikan, Mustapha claimed that none of the details requested nor materials listed were made available to him, saying he believed that “the silence and elusion was deliberate and calculated to technically shut me out of the race and trample upon my rights with gross impunity.”

According to him, “On getting to the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, through speculations on the 26th day of May 2022, I was turned back at the gate of Onikan Stadium along with my Agents despite introducing myself as a gubernatorial aspirant to the security men on duty.

“Efforts to get the State and National Officials were not successful until I was finally able to reach Dr Mohammed Bashir. R (Lagos Committee Secretary) who surprisingly claimed that I was not cleared, to participate in the election.

“This information was news to me as I was hearing it for the first time. Even though the arrangement shown on TV gave the impression that there are three gubernatorial aspirants to deceive the public, the purported disqualification was only announced at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan and was thereafter published by several news media on the selection rather than election of the sole candidate schemed for, by the party officials.

“I have raised an appeal despite the difficulties encountered along the process. I have reasons to believe that I, with the other aspirants, were deliberately shut out to give the party chieftain’s aspirant the opportunity to emerge despite being an incumbent Governor.

“The process and actions taken by the National and the State Officers violated all relevant laws of the land and amounted to a gross abuse of power as well as breach of the trust of members of our great party which had been vested in the party officials at the State and National levels.”

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