PDP strategises for Lagos council elections

By Emmanuel Badejo

 

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged its members to work towards changing the fortunes of the party during the next council elections scheduled to hold later this month.

Its chairman, Dr Dominic Adegbola who made the remark when he was addressing members during a meeting at the party secretariat in Lagos recently said the party would back all the candidates with material support and other logistics required to win their desired positions.

Adegbola said the party has begun the process of rejigging its structures to create opportunities for members at the grassroots. Consequently, he urged members to put in motion processes that will lead to the establishment of wards and polling booth structures in all localities. “Establishing those structures,” he added, “was a sure way to win many, if not all the chairmanship and councillorship positions available.”

Dominic directed members, who are aspiring for elective positions to work to produce councillors in their respective wards. He said those aspiring for management positions should, as a matter of course, win the councillorship seats in their wards, because this would be a major factor to qualify them for nominations.

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He added: “We are determined to win as many councillorship and chairmanship seats as are up for the contest.  Thus, our candidates are hereby assured of logistics and other material support within the reach of the party.”

Dominic, who recently was returned as the chairman through a court verdict, acknowledged that for several months, party rules and procedures had been disregarded. He, however, said he was ready to correct all wrongs and ensure PDP occupies its place in the state’s political arena.

He said: “The administration of the PDP in Lagos State now is poised to reestablish the old path and proper attitude of party members, which believe that leaders, officers and representatives are to be elected at free and fair congresses and primaries, as prescribed by the extant provisions of the party’s constitution.”

“The present practice whereby a few people hide out in some hotel premises fortified with thugs and other social miscreants for the purpose of sharing party positions to themselves as slots, which they thereafter sell or otherwise appropriate to their cronies, even as hardworking and long-suffering members are left in the cold is unacceptable.  We are determined to stamp out all that nonsense.”

On its party congresses scheduled to hold later this month, the chairman said under his leadership, the PDP will ensure a level-playing field for all aspirants, to demonstrate that the party is a truly democratic entity.

He reassured the party faithful that he will not condone any illegality. He added: “We are determined to validate the choice and only the choice of the people.”