The drama started when some aggrieved members of the party claimed that there are groups within the APC in Lagos State.
The claim subsequently led to a clash between the aggrieved members and executives of the Caretaker Committee of the party in Lagos.
Some aggrieved stakeholders ventilated their anger against the July 31 ward congresses in the state and called for an adjustment.
The PUNCH reports that there are at least four groups within the party, which include Lagos4Lagos, The Conscience Forum, the AAMCO, and the Democrats Political.
This is despite that the APC Lagos chapter had on June 10, 2020, dissolved all sub-groups within the party – especially the Mandate Group and Justice Forum, regarded as the powerful sub-groups in the party.
Sunday Ajayi, one of the aggrieved members, who doubles as the Vice Chairman, Lagos4Lagos group, said that the ward congress in the state was unjust.
He subsequently claimed that “there are groups in the party that are unhappy with the process, conduct, and outcome of the congress.”
“If anyone says APC is one, he or she does not want to say the truth,” another member of Lagos4Lagos group, Shakiru Onilude, added.
“APC is one, but there are divisions. We have divisions. All we are asking for is inclusion,” Mustapha Dabiri of the Conscience Forum said.
Mr Joseph Olawale of the Democrat Group also alleged marginalisation and unfair treatment of some groups within the party.
Joseph explained that in the past, the group was always being carried along in the sharing of positions.
He noted that the situation was not the same in the last ward congress, wondering if that was caused by the death of their leader on Lagos Island.
In a swift reaction, the Secretary, Lagos APC Caretaker Committee, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, said there was no group within the party, a statement that unsettled other aggrieved stakeholders at the meeting.
“No group is recognised within the party,” he insisted despite protest from some members at the meeting.
Also, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the State Caretaker Committee, Abiodun Salami, backed Ogunyemi, noting that there was no division within the party.
He emphasised that the party has one leader, Tunde Balogun.
Meanwhile, the four groups submitted petitions to the appeal committee, which said that it would hear them on Thursday and Friday.
Chairman of the five-man committee, Mr Ibrahim Akaje, said, “Let me inform you that so far, the committee has received four petitions submitted by the Lagos4Lagos, The Conscience Forum, the AAMCO and the Democrats Political Groups within the party.
“We expect other petitioners within the next 24 hours.
“We have sorted out the petitions and distributed copies to every member of the committee to digest before we will later converge, deliberate on the issues raised, decide and make our submission to the National Secretariat of the party.”
