Ajeromi-Ifelodun LG Elections: Who become the Vice Chairmen?

“When rightful people are in power, result-oriented achievements are the bedrock”.-Anonymous

For some time now Mindset Media Limited and Gabrio Voice Magazine only focusing on the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants of both political parties in the local governments while vice chairmanship issue has not being politically addressed by party leaders and not to cause another Tsunamic loss in the coming LG elections.2015 general elections should be a great lesson to the ruling party not just the alleged anti-party syndrome among ruling political party members.

In Ajeromi,the political calculation of party leaders of whom to choose as the Vice Chairman of the most populous local government in Lagos State since 1999 till 2014 by the ruling party has been fairly accepted by all the ethnic groups that make the local government. From 1999 -2007, Hon. Paul Ovie from (South-South)Urhobo nation became the vice chairman and from 2007-2004, an Igbo man (Hon.Obinna Nwabueze) emerged as the vice chairman.

With this political calculation and realignment of this leadership, the ruling party made a rightful decision of equal representation of all ethnic groups in the local government since 1999 till date.

As the LG elections get nearer as both political parties; All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepare for one of the toughest elections that test the popularity of each party, party leaders must not fail to bring a rightful vice chairmanship candidate that represents the interest of all the ethnic groups in the local government. The ethnic groups comprises Isoko,Urhobo,Igbo,Ijaw,Igala,Kwale,Arewa,Edo,Rivers,Ogoja and host of others. These ethnic groups listed shows that the Urhobo and Igbo had fully represented the local government and time for another ethnic group to represent the people as vice chairman. In Aiyetoro chapter, the Isokos, the Ijaws, the Kwales, the Urhobos, the Rivers, the Ogojas dominate this environment under the South-South group. The Arewas are dominant of Okorogbo, Tolu and other areas in the local government. While the Igbos are dominant of Olodi-Apapa axis with block vote.

Any attempt to field another wrong ethnic group into the vice chairmanship position of Ajeromi LG by any of the two political parties in the coming elections without wide consultations from ethnic groups ‘stakeholders would result to another doom in the local government if not curtained now.

As a social observer from distance, I discovered that Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission(LASIEC) conducting the LGs elections does not guarantee the victory of any candidate of the ruling or opposition party but the issue here is that if the rightful vice chairman is not nominated, it would result into another abysmal failure of any chairmanship candidate that will win the coming LG elections.

In Ifelodun LCDA,alleged anti-party activities is more pronounced in the ruling party but one issue that has not being fully addressed by party leaders in the local government is equal ethnic representation. Since the formation of Ifelodun LCDA,no ethnic group has been given a vice chairmanship position. Does that mean only the Yorubas are in Ifelodun LCDA? Again, tribal politics must be addressed comprehensively and objectively if any aspirant wants to win the chairmanship position. In Ifelodun LCDA, the Igbos, the Igalas, the Edos, the Isokos, the Urhobos, the Ogojas, the Rivers and others are dominant of this local government. What relegated the ruling party to the background in the last elections were not just anti-party activities but wrongful selection of party candidates and tribal empowerment programmes.

Again, Hon.Rita Orji, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun House of Representatives member under the Peoples Democratic Party victory never came to as easily as many described it but she took her political time to carry all the ethnic groups along in her campaigns. Any attempt to sideline any ethnic group by any chairmanship candidate in Ifelodun would amount to another political fiasco in the coming elections.

However, ethnic groups have grown beyond councillorship slots, the day to day affairs of these two local governments should not be run on tribal sentiments but equal representation of all ethnic groups.

Well, this issue of everybody being called’Omo-Igbo by the indigenous tribe in the two local governments must stop now. It is gradually bringing unfair ethnic representation in the local governments where some big ethnic groups swallow the small ones.

Finally, APC or PDP must think out of the box to bring ethnic vice chairmen that represent the ethnic interest. I m just making a common sense!

Godday Odidi
Public Affairs Analyst
08058124798
Lagos.