By Bilesanmi Abayomi
A former Executive Secretary of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Adekitan Bamishe Kazeem Afolabi, popularly known as ABK, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconciliation committee in Kosofe has resolved between 85 and 90 per cent of disputes involving aggrieved party members.
Afolabi disclosed this in an interview with Kosofe Post on the sidelines of the commissioning of the Ikenne Police Area Command in Remo, Ogun State. He expressed confidence that the remaining disagreements would be addressed before the 2027 general elections.
He said the party had established reconciliation committees at the state and regional levels to resolve internal disputes, address grievances arising from party primaries and strengthen unity ahead of the elections.
According to him, the reconciliation effort is also intended to close internal divisions and mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and other APC candidates in Kosofe.
“In Kosofe, we have been able to accommodate between 85 and 90 per cent of the aggrieved members. Although some are yet to reconcile, we are still talking to them,” Afolabi said.
He urged party members who emerged victorious in internal contests to reach out to those who lost, stressing that unity was necessary for the party to move forward.
Afolabi acknowledged that disagreements were inevitable during party congresses and primaries, noting that not every aspirant could emerge victorious.
He said reconciliation committees had been engaging aggrieved members individually to address their concerns and encourage them to remain within the party.
Afolabi Urges Residents to Demand Better Governance
The former council official also expressed confidence in the performance of elected local government officials in Lagos State, while acknowledging that there were areas requiring improvement.
He identified education, infrastructure and road development as areas where local government chairmen should continue to pay attention.
According to him, party leaders would engage elected officials whenever they identified shortcomings in their administration.
“They cannot do everything, but whatever we consider important, we call their attention to it. We also encourage citizens to speak up about issues they want addressed. If they feel the officials are not listening, they can bring such concerns to us,” he said.
Afolabi urged residents of Kosofe to communicate their concerns to party leaders, promising that they would engage the relevant council authorities.
He also praised the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying the administration was making progress.
Calling on residents, particularly parents and other community stakeholders, to continue engaging with their elected representatives, Afolabi said party leaders remained committed to delivering development to the constituency.
He listed local government chairmen, members of the House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly, senators and the governor among the elected officials expected to deliver democratic dividends.
Afolabi also urged residents to criticise elected officials when they fell short of expectations, saying public feedback was necessary to improve governance.