Aspirants jostling for offices in the July 22 council polls in Lagos State should shun violence and desperation for power, Mr Ademola Adunola, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the election, said on Saturday in Lagos.
“We (aspirants) should be calm, it is not a do-or-die affair. We should allow those who will emerge through the process to take time to administer well.
“We should shun thuggery and violence in any form. Everybody should ensure that the contest is not bloody. It is an offer to serve the people, we should allow the people to make their choice,” he said.
Adunola, a Chairmanship aspirant for Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that all aspirants should support those who would eventually emerge for good governance at the grassroots.
Adunola, an industrialist, appealed to players to cooperate with the electoral body and the state government to create a level playing field and a conducive environment for the election.
“We should be able to allow a level playing field to engender a free and fair primary and also the election.”
On the speculation that he had stepped down for another aspirant, he said:“The party primary is coming up on May 18 and so no issue of stepping aside or stepping down and nobody has stepped down.
“So far, there are 10 aspirants for the chairmanship seat.”
Adunola promised to implement programmes that would transform the area if given the ticket by the APC and the mandate by the electorate on July 22.
“Security is paramount, empowerment of widows and women generally is also important.
“Youths will be the focus of our policies and programmes as well as raising the council’s internally-generated revenue to facilitate development in the area,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to conduct a free, fair and credible election.
LASIEC has fixed July 22 for elections into the chairmanship and councillorship positions across the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas. (NAN)
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