The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as false a directive credited to it instructing incumbent first-term council chairmen to resign if they intend to seek re-election.
The party chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi was said to have issued the directive on Monday when he held a meeting with the party’s local government chairmen and secretary as well as council chairmen at the party’s secretariat in ACME, Ogba, Lagos.
Setting the record straight, the party spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, in a press statement made available to Theliberationnews said there was no atom of truth in the viral report adding that the party chairman’s statement was twisted to suit the interest of the publishers.
Oladejo added that the directive was meant for the party chairmen across the 57 LGs and LCDAs who intend to seek elective positions in the forthcoming election.
The Statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to a false directive purportedly issued by the Lagos State Chairman of APC, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi to incumbent Council Chairmen who intend to seek re-election to resign their offices.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that there’s no iota truth in the publication as it was twisted to suit the interest of the publisher.
“On the contrary, the directive issued was to APC Local Government Chairmen who seek elective offices during the forth-coming elections to resign their positions as they cannot be umpires and contestants at the same time.
“The Local Government party chairmen who double as aspirants in the coming elections, for emphasis, will be required to resign their current positions when the guidelines are released.
“We wish to enjoin Party members and the general public to refrain from peddling misleading information that can heat up the polity.
“As we await the electoral guidelines from the newly reconstituted LASIEC, we should all continue to promote activities that will engender party cohesion and understanding.”
