APC Primaries, A Model For Africa - Fashola

Lagos - Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos
State has described the recently concluded presidential primaries of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) as a model for democracy in
Africa.
Fashola spoke on Friday night at a State Dinner held in honour of the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, retired Justice
Ayotunde Phillips and the incumbent Chief
Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade.
He said that the primaries, which was won by retired Maj.-Gen. Muhhammadu Buhari was free, fair and credible.

“As we celebrate these women, we are also
sending out a statement to the whole of our
nation that in this state and in this city, that
our integrity is more valuable to us than all of
our personal lives.”
“We are building a country that our children
will be proud to inherit from us and that one
day they can look back and say thank you for
helping us build this country.”
“From this city, we have sent a strong
message about the politics that we will also
play. If I am not mistaken, our gubernatorial
primaries had the largest number of aspirants
but we conducted it without rancour.”
“None of the candidates who contested have
come out to say that the primaries were
rigged or that there were more voters than
those who were accredited. A candidate has
emerged and we are moving on.”
“From Lagos, against all the odds, we played
host in the last 48 hours to a party's national
convention and primaries that were a model
for democracy for the whole of Africa.”
“They are very strong statements that we are
sending out that we can live by example. They
are statements that make us stand tall.”
Fashola commended the honourees, who are
children of the late Justice James Williams,
for their contributions to the advancement of
the justice sector.
He announced that the National Judicial
Council had approved the appointment of
three more judges for the state barely a
month after four others were inaugurated.
Ade Ipaye, the Lagos State Attorney-General
and Commissioner for Justice, said the
succession of Phillips by Atilade was historic.
“It is a first that sisters will succeed each
other as chief judge in the history of the
judiciary in Nigeria.”
Other speakers including Justice Bode
Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court of
Nigeria and Alex Mouka, the Chairman,
Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos branch also
lauded the sisters.
In her response, Phillips said her
achievements during her two year tenure as
chief judge was the result of the cooperation
given to her by all stakeholders in the justice
sector.
“I pray for my sister who has taken over from
me, that she will do 10 times better than I did
because that is how the Lagos State Judiciary
will continue to improve,” she added.
On her part, Atilade said her administration
would be focused on improving the justice
delivery system.
She therefore sued for more cooperation
between the judiciary and the other arms of
government to achieve the objective.