By Akinwale Kasali
There is brewing crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State Chapter, over the outcome of the APC Primaries for the State House of Assembly.
The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Noheem Adams, who won the Wednesday Primary for the House of Assembly in Eti-Osa Constituency 1, by securing 7,635 votes during the exercise, while his only opponent, Bankole Saheed, polled 1,225 votes, has alleged a plot by Oba Saheed Elegushi, Kusenla II, the Elegushi of Ikate Land and other political leaders to manipulate the outcome of the result and substitute his name with their own aspirant.
According to the Lawmaker, the result was being manipulated despite the outcome of the primary election being openly monitored by journalists and party members.
“When I called the Returning Officer, Gbenga Odofin, he told me he had submitted my name as the winner, but there are some forces trying to manipulate the results,” Adams alleged.
Adams stressed that Odofin mentioned some names, and Oba Elegushi was one of them.
He added that his offense is that he did not support them during the impeachment move against the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
The allegation has triggered tension within political circles in Eti-Osa and across the Lagos APC, especially amid ongoing permutations ahead of the emergence of principal officers in the proposed 11th Lagos State House of Assembly.
Adams maintained that the election was free and transparent, and insisted that the process reflected the will of APC members in the constituency.
However, the Media Team of Oba Elegushi has swiftly denied any involvement in the alleged manipulation of the primary result.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Temitope Oyefeso, the Monarch described the allegation as baseless and politically motivated, demanding an apology.
“The attention of the Palace of His Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, has been drawn to a media campaign orchestrated to blackmail the traditional ruler over the failure of some politicians to secure the ticket of their party to contest in the next general elections.
“Ordinarily, we would not have dignified this with a response, but it is appropriate to reiterate the apolitical stance of the palace and the throne, and to reject in its entirety this cheap blackmail by politicians who were rejected by their own party,” the palace added.
The palace insisted that Oba Elegushi remained neutral in partisan political matters and had no role in the APC primary election process.
Former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofi Elegushi, has however slammed Adams over his remarks against Oba Elegushi and the entire Elegushi family.
The former Commissioner gave the knock in a statement signed by him, noting that in spite of the support and encouragement Oba Elegushi had given to Adams and other public office holders over the years, his verbal attacks in a video against the Monarch showed lack of respect and appreciation for the traditional ruler’s fatherly roles.
“Following the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Eti-Osa Constituency I involving Hon. Saheed Bankole, the immediate past Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government and Hon. Noheem Babatunde Adams, the incumbent Honourable Member representing Eti-Osa I Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, various reactions and grievances emerged, as is common in political contests.
“I watched with shock, disappointment, and deep concern the public comments made by Hon. Noheem Adams against His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, and by extension, the entire Elegushi family. Initially, I struggled to believe the authenticity of the video in circulation because such remarks were difficult to reconcile with the history of support, relationship, and goodwill that existed,” he said.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
