APC supporters threaten to boycot March 18 elections

CITIZENS COMPASS– HUNDREDS of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ikorodu Division in Lagos, have threatened that they will stay indoor during the upcoming Governorship and House of Assembly elections slated for Saturday, Match 18, 2023.

The APC supporters who staged peaceful protests in three different parts of Ikorodu over the weekend, lamented years of unrewarded services as election canverssers for the ruling party.

The protesters claimed they have served the party for years without being rewarded as party leaders in Ikorodu Division have deprived them of the rewards due to them.

It was learnt that the party leaders have organised series of meetings and seminars for members and non members to woo the electorate for the presidential elections with a promise to mobilise them for the job.

However, the party has not fulfilled the promises made.

Some of the protests monitored by Citizens Compass revealed protesters lamenting unrewarded services for the party.

In one of the videos of the protests, hundreds of party supporters were seen threatening to boycot the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections by staying at home.

One of them, a female who did not mention her name said the presidential and Federal House of Assembly elections got massive votes in Ikorodu Division unfortunately, those who worked to achieve this are yet to be rewarded.

“We are from Ikorodu Division where block votes were delivered for our party on February 25.

“We are saddened by the fact that the party did not notice our efforts whereas our leaders are the ones enjoying various benefits from the party.

“We will stay at home during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections rather than waste our time canvassing for votes..

“Since our leaders are the ones benefitting from the party, let them go out and do the job.” She said..

Another protester who did not mention his name said, “Canvassers will not vote in Ikorodu unless we are paid for the services being rendered.

“Except we are paid, canvassers will not do anything. We are from Ikorodu, we worked for our party but we’re not paid.

“Canvassers will not canvass except we are paid.”

Enough is enough

Another female protester, Omodolapo Adelusi said, “Everybody watching this clip, I know that what we are doing here is being recorded.

“My name is Omodolapo Adelusi from Ward A, Lagos Road, Ikorodu. For the past 15 years that I have been in Ikorodu politics, I am yet to be rewarded for wooing voters during elections.

” I was formerly in Mushin but have transfered my details to Ikorodu to enable me participate fully in Ikorodu politics.

“I was born into politics, but for the past 15 years in Ikorodu, I have not benefitted anything from Ikorodu politics, yet I vote for APC during elections.

“What pains me mostly is that we go from streets to streets canvassing for votes, but we have not being rewarded as promised by our leaders.

“Our leaders are holding on to what belongs to all of us.

“The. Governor should do the needful, we will remain at home during the Governorship election because we cannot keep working without something to show for it.” said the protester.

Checks by Citizens Compass revealed that some cash and grains meant for distribution to the grass roots were still hanging as at Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Observers are worried that this may discourage many supporters from participating in the upcoming elections..

The protests came barely a week after some local government aspirants in the 2021 local government elections lamented that the party did not fulfil it’s promise of refunding N2m fees per head for candidates who were compelled

to step down for some selected candidates of the party leaders.

Recall that the aspirants claimed that some local government aspirants were imposed on others despite that such did not participate in the primaries.

At press time, APC Lagos State Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi could not be reached for comments.