Drama As APC Bars Governorship Aspirant From Venue Of Lagos Primary Election

There was drama on Thursday as one of the governorship aspirants in Lagos State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha was not granted access to the venue of the primary election.

It was gathered that Mustapha, who resigned as a Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Minerals Resources in Lagos about a year ago to contest the state’s governorship post was denied access when he arrived on Thursday.

Explaining his experience, Mustapha narrated that he was told at the entrance that he wasn’t cleared for the exercise hence could not be given an accreditation tag to allow him into the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, venue of the APC exercise.

The aspirant however argued that he duly participated in the screening exercise in Abuja two weeks ago but the outcome of the screening wasn’t communicated to them, only for him to be denied access to the venue of the primary election on the main day.

“We were told that we were not cleared by the leadership of the party and as such, they only gave accreditation tags to those that were cleared.

“We went to Abuja for clearance two weeks ago. The results of the clearance were not communicated to us.

“We went to the APC state secretariat at Acme Road yesterday (Wednesday), we tried to get our accreditation tags but we were not given. We were there till 7am this morning before going to the venue of the primary,” Mustapha told Punch.

He said the Secretary of the primary election committee, Bashir Mohammed, turned him back on Thursday.

Mustapha is one of the aspirants contesting against incumbent Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is seen as the anointed candidate of party stakeholders in Lagos including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.