LGA Elections: Lagos APC Dismisses PDP's Allegations As Baseless

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, October 12, (THEWILL) - As the war of words between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues, the Lagos State chapter of APC has described the allegation that Governor Babatunde Fashola – led government in the state is a bad model of democratic governance as baseless, saying it was the 'biggest joke of the 21st Century.'

The Lagos PDP in a recent statement had accused Governor Fashola-led Government of not showing signs that it is willing to conduct local government election as the tenure for the present local government dispensation ends in October 29,  2014.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement signed by the Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, on Sunday, the  party said: “Now contrary to this bedtime stories of Lagos PDP, we want to make it clear  that Lagos State Government is prepared to conduct LGA elections as it has been doing in the past when INEC concludes its delineation exercise in some states in the country.'

According to the statement, “INEC is creating new wards and new polling units in some states in the country including Lagos and until it finalises that very important exercise, it may not be feasible to conduct LGA elections because we need to know the new wards and the new polling units before going to the polls”.

According to Lagos APC, ” If the new Voters Cards and the new Voters Register are yet to be seen, please tell us how you can conduct elections. Once these structures are put in place, LASIEC will move into action.”

The statement also added : “Some PDP controlled states have not conducted local government elections in the last eight years but we are not PDP.

'We do the right thing, we follow the rules and we get results. However, if these issues are not resolved before the October deadline, Lagos State Government may appoint caretaker committees to replace the outgoing LGA Chairmen.”

“On the allegation that Lagos State government officials are provoking PDP members by removing and destroying PDP signs, please let it be known that Lagos State has a Signage Agency called LAASA and if Lagos PDP wants its services they know what to do. Advert Agencies in Lagos know that it is not business as usual as LAASA has cleared the mess in Lagos and set up new standards for Outdoor Advertising.

“Lagos State Government has not provoked anybody or any group but sometimes decisions are taken in the overall interest of 25 million Lagosians. Rather it is Lagos PDP that has been provoking Lagos APC. We saw the provocation when a junior Minister in the Ministry of Defence Senator Obanikoro went with armed soldiers to Ilubirin Housing Estate to harass contractors building homes for Lagosians.

'We see this provocation when one of our leader in the island, Alhaji Azeez Asake, was brutally murdered by PDP thugs after their rallies at TBS. We see these provocations on a daily basis at old toll gate Lagos where Lagos PDP is training thugs for 2015 elections in the name of SURE-P.

'PDP is on the wrong side of history in Nigeria, and the same history will remain our witness.”