There Has Never Been Any Imposition in APC

Comrade Babatunde Alani rarely needs introduction in the political entity of Igando-Ikotun LCDA and Alimosho Federal Constituency in general as he is theAPC secretary, Ward F, Aid to Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District and member of the several CDHR and many more.

In this interview with the Publisher, Abel Lazarus; bares his thoughts on some of the issues within the ruling party; APC. Comrade Alani Babatunde opinion is based on his capacity as a social, political and human right activist and not that of the APC at any level or Igando-Ikotun LCDA.
Excepts
TAM: Can we meet you sir?
CBA: My name is Comrade Alani Babatunde, a political, social and human right activist, the APC secretary Ward F Igando-Ikotun LCDA and an Aide to Senator Adeola (Yayi) and the serving Supervisory Councilor Igando-Ikotun LCDA on Education and Library Services.
TAM: What is your opinion on the leadership of APC from the Federal to the Local Government level; Lagos as a case study?
CBA: Nigerians have never had it this well before now after the sixteen years of wastages of the Peoples’ Democratic Party the APC our great party is providing succour for Nigerians through her war on corruption and redirecting the economy back to track from recession to becoming an enviable economy in the world again. Using Lagos State as a case study you will agree with me that there is on-going massive infrastructural development in all the 57LgAs/LCDAs, also at the local government level they newly elected Chairmen are also doing their best in driving the dividends of democracy to the people.
TAM: There seem to be many cracks or faction in the APC as we are aware of the Abuja APC?
CBA: APC Lagos is one indivisible party lead by Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom every member of the party holds to the highest esteem and have confidence in his leadership; hence there is no such thing as division in the party here in Lagos State as we remain one indivisible party; Dingbi l’awa!
TAM: To the crisis rising from the selection and screening of the Secretary to the Local Government here in Alimosho and other Local Government Areas; what is your take on it?
CBA: In my views and in line with the constitution that bestowed the responsibility of appointing the Secretary to the Local Government (SLG) and other officials on the Executive Chairman, hence there is no issue what so ever. Though I am one of the beneficiaries and I believe in the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. More so; the stipulated processes were duly followed as I was screened where several questions were asked which I also believe must have satisfied the Legislative arm else the chairman would have been communicated otherwise.
TAM: The names on the purported list from the state were they screened?
CBA: I am not aware of any list, I have equally red a lot of recent on this matter and do not know if they were screened or not; it is not in my position to know because am neither the chairman nor a member of the legislative arm. What I can confirm is that all the names on the list submitted by the chairman were screened. Amazingly there was a name on the list who has not been active in the politics in Igando-Ikotun LCDA, he sat beside me on the screening day and he was, so the purported might only be existing ostensibly.
TAM:One may be wondering what the rancour is all about at this time as APC has been known for her imposition of candidates on electorates?
CBA: Point of correction, there has never been any imposition of candidates on electorates at any time; APC is a large family and as a family there is usually dialogue to resolve certain issues internally, on the issue of emergence of candidates what usually happen is that when there is political office for an elective position, you expect to have numbers of people with interest in such position so the party has a mechanism that dialogue with each of these interested members with the sole aim of presenting the best candidate(s) to the electorates as the case may be. The party understands the need for growth each member hence will want the best candidate presented while other might be given opportunity in other offices where they are expected to gain more experience for the future. During the dialogue it is where the candidates will be determined by interactions and the most experienced or qualified will be presented. It is in both interest of the party and the nation at large. The Igando-Ikotun SLG tussle was addresses long before the election as the norminated candidate Comrade Akinsanya had expressed interest in the office of the chairman which he is qualified for,he was willing to forfeit his gratuity by resigning his appointment as a civil servant and work for elction of working so hard elwcting Gov Ambode in 2015 in mobilising the entire Lagos State workforce during the 2015 election. When the election for the office of the chairman came up he was asked by the leaders to allow Honourable Morenike Adeshina Williams to go for her second term so as to enable her complete some of her developmental projects during her first term and was promised the position of the SLG; which he accepted even with his supporters. Would it be nice for the same man to be denied of such promise after his efforts to victory for the party and his personal sacrifices?
TAM: The APC National Legal Adviser Dr Muiz Banire raised similar objections as regards Odi-Olowu LCDA during the primary exercise going to the LG elections but he was seen and addressed as a rebel in the party as his Ward even suspended him; though an action in futility as the party ruled that ward could not suspend a national officer of the party; now why the cry against imposition?
CBA: Honourable Muiz Banire is the national legal adviser to the APC and by so doing a leader but with due respect the issues he raised was of no credence as his candidate was shamefully defeated at the primaries by Honourable Ajala
TAM: Back to Alimosho; recently your name was mentioned among those that mobbed Dr Lateef Ibirogba a former commissioner of Lagos State and a member of your party and also one of the leaders in Alimosho LGA; what would say transpired?
CBA: There is maxim that says he who must come to equity must come with a clean hand, but in this case I am dismayed that someone in the position of Lateef Ibirobga could stood so low in telling blatant lies. I was shocked when I read the story that went viral claiming that Iwas among those that mobbed Ibirogba and collected his phone but contrary to that, on the said fateful day, we were in the house of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola the governor of the state of Osun. I want to set the records straight for the umpteenth time Dr Lateef Ibirogba can never be mobbed by the virtue of his position and in the house of one of our leaders in the person of Ogbeni Aregbsola and I challenge him to come out face-to- face and state what happened.
We had gone to Governor Aregbesola’s house with Senator Adeola, they (Gov.Aregbsola, Senator Adeola and Ibirogba were all inside while some of us were outside when Ibirogba came out for his departure, there is one peculiar thing with the residence of our leaders especially when they are around and that is the presence of various calibre of party members which was exactly the case on this day. While I was waiting for my boss (Yayi), Ibirogba came out and he was booed by some youths apparently from his ward and there was no advancement by any of the youths what he did even if there was any; owing to where he packed his car very close to the gate he would be able to move before anyone could even get to him by the reason of the distance but he returned inside may be to complain to the leaders inside as he was immediately followed outside by Yayi and nobody said anything not to even make any move even when my boss asked the boy why they were booing him and he quietly drove off.
It is obvious that he has realised his relegated position and is desirous to fight back but has chosen a wrong way of doing that through a cheap blackmail and maligning my name and reputation which has never been in any form of disrepute. I have remained amazed how a man who has risen to such position as a commissioner of Information and Strategy could make such claim of being beaten to pub and no mainstream media covered the story except for his cronies who are using the social media to misinform people.
Ibirogba problem politically started during the House of Representative Primary where he was seen supporting his bosom friend Honourabl Mafe but at the primary which was adjudged free and fair, which I was asked to stand in for Honourable Kehinde Joseph who was the returning officer for Honourable Adebanjo but was summoned for another duty. Mafe lost to Adebanjo in that primary which was counted openly; since then Ibirogba had gone underground but with the election year approaching and he feels it’s time for relevance and has chosen this ugly method. His ward does not regard him any longer because of his failure to attend meetings during his appointment as Commissioner, there was no mechanism by him to reach out to his people and they are expressing their ill feelings through any means.
While he was serving as a commissioner he never created means of harmonising his ward as he avoided all the meetings from ward to constituency. Election year is fast approaching and it’s time to be relevant but not through such a cheap blackmail. You cannot be a leader without carrying your people along and that is the problem with Ibirogba, he neglected his ward and Alimosho while a commissioner failing to understand that appointment is through recommendations from the ward and constituency level.
TAM: What are your plans for Education in Igando-Ikotun at this period where it is very obviouse that the standard of education had slipped to its lowest with the recent plan of Kaduna State to disengage about 25,000 teachers from service?
CBA: First of all I must thank God for giving Igando-Ikotun LCDA a chairman that understands the important role of education and has given my office the backing to make sure that standard of education is wholly improved within our LCDA through various partnerships with NGOs and private sectors. For me the office is not a strange one as I have passed through the public schools from primary to tertiary (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife) so I understand where we are and where we need to be as regards our standard of education in Igando-Ikotun. This we have also embarked on this as we are hoping to introduce a campaign towards building back the lost morals in our society through the schools. We are also having a quiz and composition writing competition on the 13th and 14th of December 2017. She has forwarded proposals on educational development to my office for our advisory input and reverts to her for approval base on their values to the development of education in Igando-Ikotun LCDA. We are working to make the schools in igando-ikotun LCDA the best not just in Lagos State but in the nation entirely.
TAM: In your opinion what do think is the way out of the SLG crisis in Lagos State?
CBA: The leaders of Alimosho and the chairman have all spoken and the governor has agreed hence there is no crisis with the SLG matter but there are elements who are trying to capitalise on the such issues for their selfish interest.