By Salam Saheed
The emergence of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) chairmanship candidate for Saki West LG has become the subject of controversy, with rival factions laying claim to different consensus arrangements ahead of the forthcoming local government election.
While one faction announced that the incumbent Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Akinola, had been unanimously adopted as the party’s consensus candidate, another influential bloc insisted that legal practitioner, Hassan Ajibade (Esq.), is the authentic consensus choice.
The pro-Akinola group, comprising some aspirants, party executives and stakeholders, released a resolution stating that after extensive consultations and deliberations, Akinola was unanimously endorsed to seek a second term. The resolution cited his three years in office, experience and contributions to the party as reasons for the endorsement and appealed to the party leadership to formally ratify the decision.
The development comes barely hours after consultations began among party leaders following Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive that stakeholders in Saki West should produce a consensus candidate from the leading aspirants.
The aspirants involved in the consensus process included Hon. Gbenga Akinola, Hassan Ajibade (Esq.), Lateef Sarafadeen Abiola (Esq.), Hon. Oluwakemi Waheed, Hon. Muda Busari and Hon. Waheed Omoyemi.
However, despite the resolution backing Akinola, another faction within the party maintained that Hassan Ajibade (Esq.) is the duly agreed consensus candidate, creating uncertainty over who will eventually fly the party’s flag.
As of the time of filing this report, the state leadership of the APM had yet to issue an official statement clarifying the party’s authentic chairmanship candidate for Saki West Local Government, leaving party members and supporters awaiting formal confirmation.