Egbe Idimu LCDA, Lagos state - A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and House of Reps aspirant for Alimosho federal constituency of Lagos state, Prince Idris Balogun, has said the unity of the ruling party is important ahead of the 2023 elections.

Prince Balogun made this known in a brief chat with Legit.ng on Saturday, July 16, as he organised a Sallah party aimed at unifying all the APC members in Alimosho federal constituency.

“We are here today to celebrate Sallah, to appreciate God in our lives,” he told Legit.ng.

“We are also here to brainstorm together to know the next level,” Prince Balogun who is popularly known as Oluomo added.

House of Reps primary election in Alimosho inconclusive, says Prince Balogun

Though the Senior Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Urban and Physical Planning, Ganiu Ayuba, was pronounced the winner of the primary election, Prince Balogun maintained that the election “was inconclusive.”

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He noted that the House of Reps primary could not hold because of the violence that erupted while the House of Assembly primaries was still ongoing, claiming two lives.

Nevertheless, the APC chieftain said he believes in the supremacy of the party and will abide by whatever decision was taken regarding the ticket for the Alimosho federal constituency seat.

I won’t leave APC, Prince Balogun confirms

Following the outcome of the primaries, Prince Balogun noted that some people were spreading rumours that he would dump the APC for another party.

He, however, debunked the rumours, saying that he won’t defect from the APC to any other party.

The APC chieftain said he has been a member of the party since the Alliance for Democracy (AD) days in 1998/1999 and will not leave for other parties.

“Since I joined the progressives, I have not defected to any other party. I have not derailed from the line of progressives. So, I will not defect to any other party.

“I am not defecting to another party. I belong to APC and will remain in the APC. And I believe that APC will be victorious come 2023,” he told Legit.ng.

Factional crisis in Alimosho

The ruling APC is "factionalised" in Alimosho; one group is led by Chief Mrs Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, a former deputy governor while the other is led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the minister of interior.

There are six LCDAs in Alimosho. While the Adefulire camp is in charge of three (Agbado/Oke-Odo, Mosan Okunola and Ikotun Igando), the Aregbesola-led camp is also in charge of the remaining three (Egbe Idimu, Alimosho and Ayobo/Igbaja).

However, in a bid to unify the APC in Alimosho, Prince Balogun organised the Sallah party on Saturday, inviting all members of the APC in the federal constituency, irrespective of their factions.

Commenting on the development, Honourable Ogungbade Olawale Lateef, Supervisor for Youths and Sports, Egbe Idimu LCDA, said the Adefulire camp is making efforts to unite Alimosho for the success of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential bid and the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

However, the Aregbesola camp, according to Mr Lateef, is not showing interest in reuniting the party.

Honourable Lukumon Idowu, the director general of Oluomo Campaign Organisation, also made a similar comment.

Mr Idowu, popularly known as L and K, said while party leaders are making efforts to reunite the factions, the Aregbesola-led camp is further dividing the party.

He said Prince Balogun, as a House of Reps aspirant and APC leader, is carrying everybody along.

The DG of the Oluomo campaign organisation also noted the Sallah party organised by his principal was aimed at unifying party members, adding that everyone was welcomed, irrespective of the faction they belong to.

“We are in the same party. APC binds everybody together. And the unity of the party and party supremacy is paramount. So, since the outcome of the primary, we have to come together and forge ahead with the party,” Mr Idowu told Legit.ng.

He urged every APC member in Lagos to unite as one family for the victory of Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu in 2023.

“We have to be united particularly for Tinubu who is running for president so that the victory can be ours,” the APC chieftain said.

How to unite APC members across Lagos - Prince Balogun

Also speaking on the internal wrangling in Lagos APC, Prince Balogun said the party leadership should reconcile all the aggrieved members, including himself and other aspirants who were not satisfied with the outcome of the primaries.

Oluomo noted that this is important so as to ensure APC members in the state do not defect to other parties ahead of 2023.

The APC chieftain in Alimosho, nevertheless, noted that the party leaders are already making the moves to appease the aggrieved members, including himself.

He expressed confidence that, with unity, APC will be victorious in 2023.

Source: Legit.ng