The Accord Party in Lagos State says peace will return to the party soon as it awaits court ruling on legitimate state executive organ of the party and authentic candidates’ list for the 2023 general elections.
The Acting State Chairman, Mr Dele Oladeji, who made this remark at a news conference on Wednesday at party secretariat in Alimosho, said that the court would on Oct. 27 resolved all the bickering and leadership crisis affecting smooth takeoff of campaigns.
Recalled that Oladeji-led executive committee and a shadow cabinet constituted by an ousted state chairman of the party, Mr Joseph Beckley, both conducted parallel primaries in May for the purpose of 2023 elections.
Oladeji-led executive had approached the Federal High Court in Lagos to determine the authentic state executive of the party and the candidates’ list to be accepted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking, Oladeji alleged that activities of some compromised national officers of the party for selfish reasons, plunged the chapter into crisis, assuring party members that all issues would be resolved soon.
Oladeji, who however, noted that political crisis was not limited to the party, said that his executive committee was working round the clock to move the party to victory in 2023 elections.
He said: “It is very shameful that we are in this situation today.
“We don’t have faction in Accord Party. What we have are mere distractions that will soon be clarified by the court.
“We are a party of due process, we stand for the truth and the constitution of the party. In coming days, we will have our Court ruling to make the campaign smooth.
“In few days the truth will triumph and we shall present our credible candidates to Lagos residents to choose.”
The Acting chairman, who however noted that Beckley still remained a father in the party, but he had been removed as the party chairman, hence the primaries conducted by him in connivance with some compromised national officers required court pronouncement.
Oladeji said that the chapter threw its weight behind the embattled party’s Board of Trustees’ Chairman, Revd Adebayo Adeniyi, describing his removal by the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Alhaji Muhammadu Nalado, as illegal.
According to him, though INEC is yet to adjust the list of Accord Party’s candidates published because of the pending court ruling, the electoral umpire has recognised the camp’s South West Leader, Adeniyi, as the leader of party.
“We are going to the campaign, we are not going to be intimidated while we wait in the couple of days for the court to declare the legitimacy of our candidates.
“So, while the court goes on in its processes, and we get the necessary order, these our legitimate candidates will go on campaigning,” Oladeji said.
He said that in every electoral year some people had always been sponsored by some external forces to mitigate the success of the party.
According to him, the party has very strong and credible candidates passionate about fixing the state and making residents laugh.
He said that the fortune of Accord Party remained bright and that the party had a high chances of winning.
The governorship primaries conducted by Oladeji-led executive committee produced Pastor Peter Obayuwana, a retired Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP) as party candidate while the one conducted by Beckley faction produced Mr Hakeem Dickson, a former chairman of Surulere Local Government.
Though INEC is yet to publish the final list of candidates for governorship and state house of assembly elections, its published final candidates’ list for National Assembly elections contained candidates produced by Beckley faction.
Speaking, Obayuwana, said that he was in the race to make Lagos State wear a new look through people-oriented and people-friendly policies, saying residents of the state had been exploited.
Mr Samuel Adigun, the Lagos Central Senatorial Candidate produced by the Oladeji-led executive committee primaries, who spoke on behalf of other legislative candidates, said that germane issues affecting the people of the state would be address if they had the party’s tickets and voted in.
In additional, Mr Timi Ajibola, the Accord Party’s Youth Leader, said that there had been a lot of reconciliations and mediations to end all the distractions holding the back the party.
Ajibola said: “It is always good to be on the right side of the constitution.
