The Governor of Lagos State, Mr, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has dismissed parallel congresses of the All Progressives Congress allegedly held by some elements as “mere naming ceremonies.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile, disclosed this in a statement after the congress on Saturday which produced Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi as state chairman of the APC.
According to Akosile, Sanwo-Olu said the authentic congress was the one attended by card-carrying members of the party at the venue announced by the State Congress Committee and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the party’s national executive committee.
The Governor described the process as “simply decisive, non-controversial,” expressing his confidence in the new team that will be steering the party’s affairs in Lagos.
He said Ojelabi possessed a brilliant resume as a loyal APC chieftain, noting that the new team would work to deepen the party’s stronghold in the state.
Akosile quoted Sanwo-Olu as saying, “We have come to the end of the state congress. All party members are happy with the peaceful conduct of the process and the outcome. I’m certain that the leadership that emerges from this exercise is a round peg in a hole. The man (Ojelabi) that will be leading the team has a brilliant resume as a trusted hand, at the National Assembly level, State Executive Council level, political and community leadership level. He has over 20 years of political experience.”
He added that the new chairman had the mandate to reach out to aggrieved party members and bring them back to the fold.
On his part, Ojelabi praised the Governor for a hitch-free congress, noting that the peaceful conduct of the election manifested good leadership ingrained in the party by the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He also thanked the past caretaker committee members for their service, especially their effort to grow the party membership and its reach.
