Saddened by the substitution and marginalization of Christians in Lagos State, the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Kosofe Local Government Area, invited the Convener, Apostolic Round Table, Apostle Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi, to a town hall meeting in protest of unjust manipulation of APC party primary process yesterday, Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
Dr Bolaji’s vehement sermon and utterances before the Lagos State Chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria’s Directorate of Politics and Governance, in conjunction with “The Youths Directorate of PFN Lagos organised Youth Leadership Summit, themed ” Youths For Christ and the Nation at the Abundant Life Bible Church, Iju Road, Agege, Lagos on Thursday 19th May 2022, prompted his invitation.
They stated that all of the legislature representing Kosofe are Muslim, the senator representing Lagos East is a Muslims, that the 2 members of the House of Assembly are Muslims, except Hon Rotimi Agunsoye who represents them at the federal house of representatives, it is very disturbing that the only Christian in their ranks is being unjustly substituted with a muslim, leaving the Christians with no legislative representation at the senate and federal house of representatives and even the State House of Assembly. The only seat occupied by a christian to balance the senate and the 2 house of assembly seats in the local government is unjustly being taken away!
They are concerned that the line of a war that Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu has drawn with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, over the church establishment of DPG based on PFN instruction is now being carried out without due diligence to democratic process!
This outcry becomes necessary in view of the cordiality that has existed in Kosofe Local Government Area where Muslim settlers from the North and their Yoruba hosts have live together peacefully, rubbing Asiwaju religious sentiments on our faces poses a real threat to peace, which we cannot accept!
My amazement on arrival at the hall for the town hall meeting was the mixed audience, of Muslims, Christians and the traditionalists, the ethnic mix was equally a marvel. Elders of Hausa communities in the Local Government sat with their Yoruba hosts. It was communal love at its best. We are ready to stand in defense of love with citizens of Kosofe Local Government Area to see that justice is done.
One christian out of four is not too much in a state like Lagos, and it just has to be done!
All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders across Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos State came out to express their disappointment over the outcome of the just concluded primary!
The following day Thursday, 2nd of June 2022, some residents and members of APC stormed the party Secretariat on ACME Road, Agidingbi to protest the outcome of the primary election that produced Mrs Kafilat Ogbara as the party’s flag-bearer for the House of Representatives seat, come 2023!
Hon Abiodun Martins, a former vice Chairman of Ikosi/Isheri LCDA under Kosofe federal constituency described what happened on Friday during the primary election which was held for 20 LCDAs as broad day robbery .
Martins expressed her disapproval over the outcome of the election after all the delegates had voted and were waiting for results to be announced only for them to see a different name as a flag bearer to represent the Kosofe federal constituency!
“Mrs Kafilat Ogbara as the party’s flag bearer? Someone who had just joined the party from a different party two years ago! We say no to injustice, we need our mandate!
“Rotimi Agunsoye is our candidate who meant well for Kosofe federal constituency. He has done a great job. There’s none like him for now. Since he took over the constituency, our party members can attest to the massive development in our Local Government through his constituency projects, which everyone is happy for.
“Agunsoye should be handed the party’s ticket he won. He is the person we want. He has served our interest for the past seven years!
Martins explained that all they need is their mandate for peace to reign, adding that after the Congress they went to meet the Lagos APC chairman when they sensed that some persons were working against the will of the Kosofe constituency and he promised them that everything would be okay!
I am a woman and should be happy that another woman will be a part of the government, but this should never be done through imposition. it is unacceptable!
A woman who just crossed over from another party to ours. Many of our members don’t even know her!
“She has not done any thing for the party but rather just only creating problems. In Adamawa state it is a woman that won the primary election because she has imparted positively and party members felt her impacts before voting her to be their governorship candidate!
Another party member, Pastor Faleye Segun, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) district leader under Ikosi/Isheri LCDA said; this is injustice, marginalisation and imposition which is not good to us!
“There was a backdoor protest made to the leadership of our party even before the primary result was out but a brother, Pastor Hon. Ojelade said that the protest going on has nothing to do with it, and surprisedly we were told that a candidate has been agreed on against the wish of the grassroot and the masses!
“Categorically, we have been marginalized which is not done anywhere, it needs to be corrected. We fast and fast for this nation on a daily basis for peace, unity and progress. This kind of thing should not be happening!
” We need our mandate, enough is enough, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye has done great and we need him”, he added!
Comrade Olawale Michael, a youth from Kosofe, said the aim of the protest was to fight injustice and impunity by the cabal of Kosofe LCDA who tried to manipulate the interest of the majority to minority.
“They did not allow the candidate we voted for to participate in the kangaroo primary election they organized and that is why we are here!”
” We need things to be put in place. We don’t want impunity in Kosofe. This is the party we laboured for day and night. If I may ask, why are they imposing a candidate using the name of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to lie? Olawale queried.
“Hon Rotimi has done so much for the youths, widows, the physicall challenged, children, market women and men and about 2000 youths benefited from his programme with standard schools which no one has done in Kosofe before!
“This man built ICT centers in our schools and hospitals which no government in the past can boast of. We do not need this woman as our representative. She has not laboured for us!
Hon Adebisi Adeniyi, of ward J Owode Ajegunle said that what they have presently at Kosofe federal constituency is nothing but fake primary results. We do not need censorship. We need Hon Rotimi. He is our man,” he added.
According to him. no primary was held and we do not know Mrs Kafilat Ogbara!”
