By Akinwale Kasali
Thousands of protesters have stormed Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos State streets over alleged imposition of Candidates at the All Progressives Congress, APC, Local Government Primary, held last weekend.
The aggrieved protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions some of which read: “Stop Imposition of Candidate”, “Faleke Is a criminal”, “No To Kogi Conspiracy In Somolu”, “Somolu Says No To Religious Bigotry”, “Who Is William Andrew Dullard”, “An Attempt To Terminate 2027 Shall Not Stand”.
The Protesters alleged that Hon. James Abiodun Faleke connived with the Incumbent Chairman of Shomolu LG, Abdul Hammed Salawu, popular as Dullar, and imposed Lateef Ashimi on the people of Shomolu against their wish as the Candidate of the APC for the July 12, 2025, Local Government Election.
It was gathered that Dullar and Faleke are from Kogi State, prompting the conspiracy that led to the imposition of a candidate on the people.
Unconfirmed repoints point at an underhand business allegedly between Dullard and Faleke.
All the Aspirants under the APC vying for the Chairmanship Position have thrown their weight behind Hon. Bowale Sosimi, including Rotimi Olowo, a former Lawmaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who had served for Four terms.
The protesters chanted that Bowale is the People’s Choice, stressing that no form of Imposition will work.
In a chat, one of the protesters who pleaded anonymity said Bowale is the People’s choice that no form of intimidation or Imposition will make the people change their mind.
“It is disheartening that the voice of the people is being silenced. Bowale is our choice, no one knows Ashimi Lateef, he cannot be imposed on us, it is either Bowale or nobody else”, he stated.
In the same vein, another protester said Ashimi is the current Councillor of Ward B in Somolu LG, and also a staunch loyalist of the Incumbent Chairman, stressing that he is relatively unknown and a rookie when it comes to politics and private business.
“We, the electorate have spoken, and Bowale is our choice, no one will promote a Kogi agenda here, it will not work. The needful needs to be done. Bowale is tested and trusted and we give him our mandate”.
It would be recalled that prior to the APC Primary, the Chief Imam of Somolu Central Mosque, an Hon. Salawu’s ally, had allegedly written a letter to the APC Office using the Letter Head of the Shomolu Muslim Community stating that Shomolu LG wants no Christian as its Chairman.
This has sparked outrage from the Muslim Community who distanced themselves from such religious bigotry, saying that they are a peace loving people who see Christians as their brothers, adding that those fanning the ember of religious hatred will not be tolerated or accommodated while confirming that Christian public office holders have done wonderfully well for them in the past.
At the protest ground, the protesters were chanting, “Chief Imam Ole, “Dullar Ole, Faleke Ole!”.
The protest is targeted at getting the attention of President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership to address the situation in earnest.
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