TheCable

Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not record any win in the forthcoming council poll in Lagos state.

Tinubu, a former governor of the state, said this while addressing hundreds of party faithful at a stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat at Acme Road, Ikeja.

The forum was held in preparation for the July 22 council poll.

Tinubu regretted the loss of some national and state legislative seats to the PDP in the 2015 general election.

“2015 election was the greatest battle of our time. In the last election, we lost more than three LGAs to our opponents, which is very unusual,” he said.

“We have asked our leaders in those local governments to examine what went wrong and work together to chart a new course to ensure the APC wins back those councils.

“PDP cannot have any share in these council elections.”

The national leader commended party faithful for their support to Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state, saying he has not disappointed the party and the people.

“We are grateful to you the people for your great support during the 2015 election. We have continued to hold Lagos in spite of strong opposition,” he said.

“Gov. Ambode has not let us down; he is doing a fantastic job in an environment where we have the economic challenges. He is doing it and he is doing very, very well.

“He has a very good team. He is doing a great job and we are very proud of that.”

Tinubu urged party leaders at the grassroots to shun bribery and favouritism, adding that quality leadership and merit should be upheld.

“Our leaders should be fair to the people at the grassroots; we cannot please all, but we can satisfy the majority. This politics is give and take, compromise,” he said.

Tinubu said the current sole administrators were not eligible to contest the forthcoming council poll.

“To appease some people, we asked the government to allow the executive secretaries to take over after the tenure of last council chairmen expired, instead of civil servants,” he said.

“That was why executive secretaries were chosen to pave way for politicians.

“When the term expired, we used sole administrators, but before we used them, we warned them that `when the elective position comes, you are not entitled to contest’.

“We agreed that time, we cannot change it overnight; executive secretaries, however can contest.”

He urged the party leaders to give consideration to youth and women in the sharing of positions.

Also speaking, Ambode urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure APC victory in all the 57 councils.

“We are meeting on a very happy note. I am able to look back and say that that confidence you reposed in me to defeat the PDP candidate was not in vain,” he said.

“This coming local government election is all in your hands. My call to all members of our great party is to ensure that all the 57 councils are won by APC. We have begun a journey to make Lagos and Nigeria progressive.”