By
James Abiodun Faleke, member of the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, has reacted to reports that he organised a parallel ward congress in Ikeja Federal Constituency with the leader of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, describing them as “false and lie from the pit of hell.”
Faleke, who chairs the House Committee on Finance, said in accordance with the guidelines set by the national body of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), he bought congress forms for some party faithfuls as he did in the past congresses.
He added that unknown to him, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had magnanimously bought forms for all party members who wish to contest in the State which had never happened in recent time. As a result, the congress forms he purchased for Ikeja LGA were not used except in one Ward – Ward F which was Ogba Oluwole.
Faleke said, “In Ikeja LGA, we have 10 Federal Wards. Of the 10, the Leadership in 9 sat and agreed on Consensus including my Ward-Ward B, and note that I’m from the same Ward with the GAC member – Cardinal James Odumbaku.
“Also note that despite the fact that I was not at the meeting where the consensus arrangement for my Ward B was agreed on but I complied and agreed with the resolution of the leaders of the Ward. This I believe was and should be the same practice in the other Wards.
“However, in Ward F known as Ogba/Oluwole communities, I was told that the leaders could not agree as efforts to have the consensus reached proved abortive because the side led by Mrs Toke Benson, Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, refused to sit down with other leaders whom she met in the Ward after returning from her sojourn in the Labour Party. She claims to be a leader because she is an SA to the Governor. But she cannot mobilize 20% of the people of her Ward for the same Governor in an election. It is others with no appointments that mobilize for the party in the Ward and LGA.
“This Ward have other Leaders such as the state Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs Lola Akande; former Sole Administrator of the Ojodu LCDA, Honourable Moyosore Jaji, Alhaji Mudasiru Arewa, Hon Tajudeen Bello, Akin Lashile, Demola Banjo, Mr Isaac Ajani, Hon Demola Okubajo, Alhaji Wasiu Motajo and so many of the Youths and women leaders together with other great party leaders who have bee in politics since Awolowo days and have NEVER been disloyal to Asiwaju.”
According to the lawmaker, there was no consensus in Ward F. Then, the Congress Ward Electoral Committee invited the National Committee to help out and when consensus arrangement failed, an elective congress was conducted and the Toke Benson camp failed to win even a seat, adding that there are video and pictorial evidences to back his claims.
Faleke challenged the rumour mongers to disclose the venue of the purported parallel congress. He said, “The venue for the elective Congress conducted for the Ward took place at the designated venue picked by the leadership of the party and sanctioned by the ward Congress Committee. Note also that the elective Congress was conducted by the ward Congress Committee and duly supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). ”
“I have good and wonderful relationship with the Governor and his Deputy, they are performing, loved by the people and are very worthy of our support and should ignore this cheap blackmail.
“If we are against the Governor, will it be in only one Ward out of the 10 Wards? Does this make sense to any politician? For the fact that we bought forms as directed by the Party cannot be because we are against the Governor or any leader, it is just our practice in the past and there was no communication to members of NASS that the Governor had purchased forms for party members to the best of my knowledge,” he added.
