In Amuwo-Odofin, the primaries were conducted, party faithful were to exercise their fundamental right to validate the consensus candidate as endorsed by the Apex Leaders of the party in Amuwo-Odofin as far back as the 24th of February, 2021. The consensus adoption of Engr. Valentine Buraimoh was officially communicated to the Party Chairman at the State level, Hon. Tunde Balogun duly signed by the entire group that makes up the Apex Leadership of the party in Amuwo-Odofin.
By 4pm on the 29th of May, all votes casted were duly taken to the party Secretariat on 3rd avenue for onward movement to the party Secretariat, ACME.
Members of the party in Amuwo-Odofin regardless of the sharp practices of the returning officer (R.O.), Mrs. Abimbola Oshikoya to doctor the result and nullify the consensus arrangements of the leaders, patiently awaited the result of the adoption exercise, which was adjudged to be free and fair only to be jolted by the rude shock that a candidate amongst the aspirants had already been cleared for nomination as Chairmanship candidate.
This development irked the Apex body at the local government level, wondering why such a decision would be taken without duly consulting leaders at the grassroot.
It would be recalled that one of the prerequisite for the emergence of a candidate as mentioned by the National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu includes; the consensus decision of the leaders.
More worrisome was the disclaimer document sent to the State party Secretariat by the colleagues of the R.O, Mrs. Abimbola, disassociating themselves from the process. Their prayers was that the said woman suddenly played out her game plan by disappearing with the result document.
The masterstroke on the act of upturning the consensus candidate in favour of Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu was to quickly through any means whatsoever, procure the Lasiec nomination form and subsequently sponsor a publication on the pages of the newspapers without the result of the primaries being published.
The question begging for answer became how come a nominated candidate without the result of the primaries or consensus nomination by leaders? It was now obvious that the Apex leaders of the party in Amuwo-Odofin was outplayed.
In their wisdom the Apex leaders decided to challenge the pronouncement so as to discourage future occurrences amongst member who would want to engage such route belittling the important role of the leadership of the party at the grassroot.
They took their case to the party executives and the electoral committee and finally to the National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, requesting to know if the party didn’t recognize them as leaders representing the party at the grassroot?
The case, thus, was a classic duel between the Apex leaders at the local government and its consensus decision against the promoters of a mysterious nomination.
In Amuwo-Odofin substitution of names of aspirants is an insinuation that is unfounded and designed to generate sympathy of the unsuspecting residence while trying to justify an attempt to circumvent the approved process of nomination by the party leadership.
