Lagos APC: Ambode faction elects Tugbobo as state chairman
Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organization (AMCO) faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, last Saturday, concluded its own congress, electing an executive committee at the Baptist Academy, Obakoro, ground in the state.
The faction loyal to immediate past governor of the state, Chief Akinwunmi Ambode produced Mrs. Beatrice Omotayo Tugbobo as the APC state chairman and Barrister Wasiu Adeyemi Sulaimon as the state Legal Adviser, being the only candidates standing election for their respective post.
Speaking with newsmen, Tugbobo, while admitting the existence of factions in the state, said the exercise, was conducted in line with the party’s constitution, which she said stipulated that the congress could be held by consensus arrangement or election.
“According to the constitution of APC, you can conduct your congresses whether by consensus or by voting and the agreement from the National Headquarters of APC constitutionally is that we hold our congresses in a consensus manner.
“Other factions can be holding their congresses elsewhere, yet we are holding our own here, which AMCO, the group belonging to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,” she said.
Speaking on the factionalisation rocking the party, Tugbobo pointed out that some people had been elected into offices four to five times, adding it was left for leaders of the party to sit down and address the germane issue.
“That’s left for the party leaders to decide upon,” she said.
She, however, said the party in the state cannot break but become stronger, maintaining that they were the real APC.
Also speaking, Barr. Sulaimon, while also maintaining that he remained an APC chieftain, noted that factionalization within the party was not limited to Lagos alone, but across the states of the federation.
“I belong to APC, that’s one. Inside APC, not only in Lagos, but across Nigeria, we have factions and it happens everywhere, and it also happened in the past republic.
“We shouldn’t shy away from it, at the appropriate time, the leaders of the party will sit down and know how to resolve.
“So it’s a fight, it’s not a do or die affair. If you are in a faction, you must, first of all, belong to a political party,” he said.
