02062021 - Attacks on INEC offices won’t stop 2023 polls —BUHARI

Vanguard, , WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 — 11
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:
Social Media Conversation
COMMISSIONING—Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, with Governor Seyi Makinde;
Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello, and Chief Medical Director, Ladoke Akintola
University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Prof. George Opadijo, with other state officials, during the
commissioning of the High Dependency Unit at the teaching hospital.
LG primaries: Confusion as Lagos APC
candidates receive nomination forms
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—THE
All
Progressives Congress, APC,
in Lagos State, yesterday,
commenced distribution of Lagos
State Independent Electoral
Commission, LASIEC,
nomination forms to those who
emerged winners in the primary elections,
held on Saturday, May 29, 2021.
The APC primary was held across the
20 local government areas, LGAs and 37
local council development areas, LCDAs,
of the state to decide the chairmanship
and councillorship candidates of the
party in the forthcoming council elections
in the state, slated for July 24.
The distribution of the forms, however,
is contrary to the earlier claim by APC of
still collating results of candidates that
emerged winners from the primary
elections, after leaked results appeared
and widely circulated on social media on
Monday.
This development came amid series of
petitions from aggrieved aspirants and
supporters, over reports of violence and
Lagos-Ibadan expressway: Reps warn against
compensation rift
By Gabriel Olawale
LHouse AGOS—CHAIRMAN,
of Representatives
Committee on Works, Abubakar
Kabir, yesterday, urged the
electoral malpractices in some councils,
while party registers were not available
in other councils, among other
discrepancies against particular
aspirants.
Results were also said to have been
cancelled by APC in areas where
violence was recorded.
Vanguard gathered that the
Special Electoral Committee, headed by
Wale Edun and set up to conduct the
poll, and the leadership of the party, have
secretly contacted their 'anointed'
candidates to come forward to receive
their nomination forms as flagbearers in
the general council polls on July 24.
But reacting to results making the
rounds, the Lagos APC spokesman, Mr.
Seye Oladejo, dismissed the claim,
describing it as “fake in its entirety,”
adding that “there’s nothing like that
yet on any local government.”
Oladejo said: “We have decided to
ignore the fake results in circulation from
distracting us. i can assure you that the
results will be released in due course.”
It was gathered that the party
leadership after deliberation with
Federal Ministry of Works and
Housing, as well as contractors
working on Lagos Ibadan
expressway, not to allow the issue
of compensation and relocation
affect the May 6, 2022, hand-over
date of the
reconstruction
project.
Speaking
during a fived
a y
inspection
tour of road
projects in
the South-
West by the
National
Assembly
Committee
on Works,
Kabir said the
present
administration
has made
available all
that is
necessary for
the smooth
completion of
the project,
pointing out
that the
Ministry of
Works and
Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, at a
meeting held recently, decided that all
chairmen who are first-timers should be
returned.
Among the anointed candidates, who
have collected the forms are Bayo
Olasoju, the band manager of Fuji
maestro, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly called
KWAM1 K1 De Ultimate.
There was pictorial evidence as
Oladejo was seen collecting the form from
an APC leader.
Also, the chairmanship candidate in
Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area,
Mr. Dipo Olorunrinu, was seen collecting
his nomination form from a party official,
thereby, defeating the incumbent
chairman, Mr. Valentine Buraimoh, after
a keenly contested poll.
An APC faithful, who preferred
anonymity, described the act as one of
the “Abracadabras of APC Lagos politics.”
Meanwhile, efforts to get reactions from
the APC Chairman, Mr. Tunde Balogun;
the Electoral Committee Chairman,
Edun and the party’s spokesman,
Oladejo were unsuccessful at press time
as call attempts to their phone rang out.
Housing must ensure that the
handing over date is sacrosanct.
He said: “The House of
Representatives is ready to assist in
whatever area to ensure that nothing
hinders the deadline. This is one of the
most important roads in the entire
country because it connects Lagos to the
rest of the country.
“We constantly engage with the
Ministry of Works and Housing as well
as the contractors on how we can assist
in terms of funding, technical challenges
among others. From the look of things,
Julius Berger and RCC have achieved a
lot of progress and we are optimistic that
this project will be handed overcome May
2022.
“The only challenge we observed was
that of kilometre 8, where there was an
issue with compensation and relocation.
Once we get back to Abuja, we will see
how we can assist to resolve the issue.”
In his remarks, the Director, Federal
Highways, South-West, Mr. Adedamola
Kuti, said the delivery dates of all Lagos
roads are sacrosanct.
Kuti said: “We appreciate the
cooperation we are enjoying from
motorists which makes it possible for us
to record some progress. I can assure
Nigerians that by God’s grace, we will
deliver on deadline. In terms of
compensation, we have made
appreciable progress because everybody
is sacrificing just to ensure that this
project is completed.
It should have been patented!
Curious suggestion!