Lagos APC chapter to hold open direct primary in which delegates will queue behind their candidates

MEMBERS of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are all set for a bitter spat today as the party has decided that its primaries to elect a gubernatorial candidate will involve delegates standing behind the photograph of their candidate.

In an unprecedented split within the party, the APC is divided into two bitter camps, with one faction backing incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode and another created by party leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is supporting challenger Babajide Sanwoolu. Despite repeated attempts to get the two factions to reconcile, the divisions widened over the weekend with Governor Ambode alleging that Mr Sanwoolu is unfit to be governor because he has mental health issues and was arrested in the US for spending fake dollars.

After two postponements, the primaries will hold today involving delegates from 377 wards across 20 local governments, in which every card-carrying member of the party is eligible to vote. There will be no ballot box or paper as party members will queue behind the posters of their preferred aspirant in what is known as an open direct primary, which involves the physical counting of members on queues.

Tunde Balogun, the chairman of the Lagos State APC chapter said delegates will be accredited by 9am this morning and the elections will take place by 12 noon. He added that upon arrival, members will show their APC identification card, after which they will proceed to stand behind the poster of their candidates.

Mr Balogun said: “They will be counted on the queue and recorded and after that, voting ends and then the agents of aspirants will sign. Then, the results will be taken to the local governments, the final collation will be done at the state level."

Both camps are set for a showdown despite spirited attempts by President Muhammadu Buhari to broker a peace deal. Asiwaju Tinubu's spokesman Tunde Rahman, revealed that his principal did visit Aso Rock at the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari for talks aimed at resolving the impasse.

Mr Rahman said: “Asiwaju Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande were invited by President Buhari and it turned out to be a good and productive meeting. Asiwaju was quite pleased to have conferred with the president who has always shown himself to be a committed party member and a true democrat.

“Just like the president, he is looking forward to a good and credible primary that is peaceful and free of rancour. As previously stated, Asiwaju plans to vote in this primary and his position regarding the relative merits of the candidates remains unchanged.”

Asiwaju Tinubu added: “I am encouraged by the presence of a candidate in this primary who has served the state in senior positions in my administration, the Fashola administration and even in the current one. While possessing a wealth of experience and exposure, he is a young man endowed with superlative vision and commitment.

“Most importantly, he understands the importance of the blueprint for development, he esteems it as a reliable and well-conceived vehicle for the future development of the state. He also knows the value of reaching out and working with others in order to maximise development and provide people the best leadership possible, so with people like him at the helm, the state will write the proper history for itself.”