News Thumb Magazine ..news reporting..
The elections was conducted on the 25th day of February, 2023 for the office of the President, Senatorial and House of Representatives.
EXAMINING THE ISSUES THAT WORKED AGAINST US AS A PARTY IN LAGOS STATE AND RECOMMENDATIONS IMPROVEMENT.
Some of the issues that worked against us during the last elections which resulted in the abysmal performance of our dear party, the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the February 25, 2023 General Elections are as follows:
Forceful retirement and total neglect of some Party Excos from ward to State levels.
Between May and June 2022, 96% of the state officers of the state Excos, 65% of the LGA Chairmen of our party including their chair of chair, 65% of the Ward Chairmen including their chair of chair of our dear party were all forcefully retired despite the fact that we were in the election year without any compensation despite all the efforts made by them to be recognized and compensated.
The state, Local Government and Ward Exco members that were relieved of their positions were denied of their entitlements.
Another painful aspect of all the ill treatments meted out to these State , LGA and ward Excos is that the period they were sent away was Ileya festive time and all their entitlements at this season were denied them for example ram, ororo, rice and some pocket money that they ought to be given to them normally. None of these things were given to them and they left them to go empty handed and they became frustrated.
It should be noted that the said State, LGA and Ward Excos that were sent away unceremoniously have done the following indelible things for the party since 2015:
They were the people who worked as party chairmen in their various local governments in 2015-2019 elections and Local Government Elections conducted in between these periods, the party was victorious.
II. These are the same people who conducted the party membership registration exercise at their various Local Government and and which was very successful.
III. These same people did 75% of INEC registration before they were removed from their various offices.
IV. They also partook as delegates in the state Exco Congress at Onikan (Mobolaji Johnson Arena) which produced the current State Chairman, Mr Ojelabi and all his team to office before they were forcefully sent away from office.
Poor management of the Party by Leaders at LGA and Ward Levels.
Another major contributing factor responsible for the poor performance of our party, APC during the last general elections is bad management of the party by our leaders at the LGA and Ward levels. This factor can be better explained as follows:
Some important leaders were not carried along during the preparation for the general elections in their various wards and Local Government respectively.
Some of the party leaders in the Local Government(some of whom are GAC members) did not show any commitment in terms of financial assistance during the election.
Inexperience on the part of the present party chairmen.
Inadequate preparation for the elections by the leaders in the following aspects:
Lack of genuine reconciliation of aggrieved party members.
Sidelining of members who do not belong to their own group.
I therefore recommend that we must look into the issued highlighted above carefully and urgently resolve same so that we can have victory in our next election on 11th April, 2023.
I also recommend that all the State , LGA and ward Excos that were sent away unceremoniously without any compensation should be given due recognition and their entitlements fully paid. I also suggest that our leaders at all Local Government and Ward levels should be mandated to commence as matter of extreme urgency a genuine reconciliation with a view to bring back all the sidelined leaders and members irrespective of the group they belong.
Finally sir, I strongly believe that if these recommendations are faithfully carried out, our victory in the forthcoming elections on March, 11 would be so overwhelming and the party would definitely recover its stronghold in Lagos State.
PRESENTED BY PRINCE EMMANUEL ABIODUN ABU, SENIOR SSA TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS
