Posted by By RAZAQ BAMIDELE on
The governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje has faulted the process through which the Federal Government disqualified some candidates in the April elections, describing it as unconstitutional.
The governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje has faulted the process through which the Federal Government disqualified some candidates in the April elections, describing it as unconstitutional.
Agbaje made the observation during his courtesy visit to the headquarters of The Sun Publishing Company in Lagos yesterday where he fielded questions from top management team led by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr Mike Awoyinfa.
According to the 48-year-old politician, administrative panel was not recommended by the Nigerian constitution, even as he condemned the way and manner some politicians were indicted and disqualified.
'I believe the constitution and even our laws talk about the judicial panel or tribunal. An administrative panel is working to the answer and that is not the way it should be," Agbaje declared, pointing out that the process was faulty and did not follow the rule of law.
Although the DPA governorship standard bearer believed that some of the indicted politicians were corrupt. Democracy, according to him, was practising what one preaches.
'I agree that there are quite a number of names there who, I believe, are corrupt. But like I always say, you have to practise what you preach. If you preach democracy, then you have to practise it. Working to the answer is not practicing democracy. It is just like spoiling our democratic experiment and I do not support it at all," he stated.
On the strength of his party, the pharmacist-turned politician boasted that 'DPA is waxing stronger and stronger by every passing day," adding that: 'While we are waxing stronger, the other so-called platforms are becoming weaker and weaker."
The major challenge to the DPA, according to him, was how to keep on selling the party to the grassroots, stressing that 'it is not too late for the party to catch up and over take others since we have up to 60 days before the elections."
Speaking on his own acceptability to the cross-section of the Lagos people, Agbaje appealed that 'if you agree Agbaje is the best candidate, please vote for him and leave his supposedly weak platform to sort itself out." He warned that 'it is to vote for the best man that can do it, no matter the platform, than to vote for the worse candidate just because he contests on a stronger platform."
Giving an insight into his programme for the state, the governorship hopeful, who lamented that over 60 per cent of the Lagos population were living below poverty line, promised to make things work out through proper planning in the areas of education, healthcare delivery, social infrastructure, low income housing scheme and workable transportation system.
While assuring the populace of an all inclusive government, Agbaje debunked the impression that the population of the state was responsible for the high level of poverty, adding that 'something has gone wrong somewhere in terms of priority," promising to right the wrong of the past and put Lagos on course again.