Former Commissioner for Rural Development in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has been elected the new chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was elected by card-carrying members of the party at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, on Saturday.
The congress was led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission and also the Electoral Committee members appointed by the party’s National Caretaker Committee in Abuja.
There were 1,615 delegates accredited to pick the party’s State executive members during the congress organised under tight security.
Notable APC chieftains at the congress included the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; lawmaker representing the Lagos Central in the Senate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senator Olamilekan Adeola (Lagos West), Senator Rotimi Abiru (Lagos East), Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Tayo Ayinde; the immediate past caretaker chairman of the party in Lagos, Hon. Tunde Balogun; all serving members of the national and state assemblies, chairmen of local councils and party supporters.
According to Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the congress kicked off with an opening speech by the chairman of the State’s Congress Electoral Committee, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who promised objectivity, fairness and equity throughout the process.
“Adelabu said the electoral committee was duly authorised by the party’s national committee to ensure smooth organisation of the election, expressing confidence in the peaceful conduct of the process.
As voting was about to start, the Electoral Committee chairman disclosed that 38 aspirants were screened for all 37 vacant positions in the party’s state chapter. Two aspirants, he said, expressed their interest in the chairmanship position.
“Adelabu said a chairmanship aspirant was found ineligible based on the party’s guidelines and was disqualified. Other aspirants, he said, were all cleared for the positions they contested for and returned unopposed.
The Congress Committee members adopted voice voting, requesting card-carrying members to nominate each of the eligible aspirants for members’ approval. The exercise was supervised by the Secretary of the State Congress Committee, Amb. Anthony Ogba.
“At 2.40pm, the exercise ended, with Ojelabi returning as duly elected chairman,” the governor’s spokesman said.
The new chairman pledged to lead the team by consolidating the progress recorded under his predecessor, Hon. Tunde Balogun, and promised to set the party on higher pedestal.
He said: “On behalf of all new executive members of the party, I give our commitment to setting our great party in a higher pedestal. All hands must be on deck, as this is a crucial moment in our political endeavours in Lagos. It is a moment other states are looking forward to.”
Ojelabi thanked the past caretaker committee members for their service, especially their effort to grow the party membership and its reach.
– Media Report