Lagos LG Elections: How Kafayat, Other APC Candidates with Alleged Certificate Scandals May Undermine Victory
As leading political party in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 14 others head into the Local Government (LG) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) elections tomorrow July 24, the litany of certificate forgery allegations against many of its candidates and other sundry challenges may undermine its chances and integrity even in victory.
Even if the party wins and coast to victory across the state as it appears set to, legitimacy questions may continue to hover over its mandates.
This is because key stakeholders in the party continue to agitate over unresolved issues of unpopular candidates impositions, manipulations, bribery and certificate forgery cases against some candidates.
Though the party has released its list of candidates and appear ready to go all out with its recent mega rallies across the state, all may not go as planned for the Lagos state All Progressive Congress as many of its candidates are fingered in embarrassing certificate scandals that can weaken its stronghold on the state and widen the cracks.
Some of the controversial scandals that have refused to simply disappear include that of Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun of Epe Local Government Area (LGA), Kevin Oluwaseun Gabriel, formerly known as Kelvin Luchiano of Apapa LGA, and Kafayat Layeni of Ojodu Local Council Development Authority (LCDA).
The state leadership under Mr Tunde Balogun, recently christened ‘Balo Dollar’ maybe faced with votes of no confidence as party faithfuls continue to bicker on how the Chairman has introduced incompetence and false hood to the party.
It’s also notable that the party is not ready to sort the injustice looming and this have increased the awareness level of other party candidates, especially the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to multiple reports, the ruling party APC may currently be enmeshed in troubled waters as there are clear indications that some of the candidates in the forthcoming local government elections have been alleged to have submitted fake documents in a bid to get the party nomination.
A very peculiar mess was that of Ojodu LCDA aspirant sponsored by House of Reps Member Representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Hon. James Faleke, who submitted a certificate which was later discovered to be fake.
The aspirant Kafayat Layeni claimed she did her GCE in December 1979 with C6 in English Language, C5 in Government, C4 in Economics, C4 in Mathematics, D7 in Biology, C5 in Commerce and C3 in Accounts.
Efforts to unravel the mystery initially proved abortive as WAEC appeared to be shielding the candidate. A letter written was turned down while the rejection, we gathered, was not unconnected with the clout and influence of the candidate.
But WAEC however could not shield Kafayat for long as several parties including the state police command wrote letters, insisting on finding out the truth.
After much grandstanding and drama, findings by THECONSCIENCEng at WAEC office Yaba later confirmed that the certificate was indeed fake, as confirmed in a letter from the regional examination council sighted by our correspondent.
Though the mandate was eventually given to another aspirant, it was not without some messy drama which dented the image of the ruling APC.
Information gathered from Epe Local Government Area was that the Chairmanship candidate of the APC, one Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun had allegedly presented a fake WAEC certificate despite claiming to have graduated from a Nigerian University.
The story of Apapa Local Government is another one worthy of mention as the candidate fielded by the APC to run for the position of Chairman of the council one Kevin Oluwaseun Gabriel formerly known as Kelvin Luchiano, former owner of “question mark music label” was accused to had change his name to correspond with the result he procured and is being backed by Mr Tunde Balogun the APC Chairman in Lagos State.
Kevin who is the current Vice Chairman of Apapa Local Government has been alleged of presenting a fake NECO certificate claiming he wrote the exam in November 2008 at over age 40 at the Command High School Araromi.
Findings later showed that the school does not exist. Same are cases in areas like Apapa Iganmu with Funmilayo Mohammed, Shomolu with Hamed Salawu and Olarunde Folorunsho of Olorunda LCDA as these areas too are likely to be affected.
The issues of these false documents are not limited to just the chairmen and their vice, councillors in some local governments too are involved in the mess.
The case of Toheeb Shokunbi a councillor in Ikorodu central and many remained a stain on the party.
One wonders why APC did not do a thorough and proper verification process before fielding these candidates.
The APC party needs to do better as these cases remain an albatross that may further give some boost to the struggling opposition and dim its chances of ruling the state for more years ahead.
