LAGOS: Why Somolu LG Boss, Salawu, May Not Be Cleared For APC Primaries

 

There are strong indications that Somolu Local Government Area boss, Abdul Hameed Salawu, may not be cleared by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its chairmanship and councillorship primary elections in Lagos State over criminal conviction and multiple fraudulent identities.

Salawu and other aspirants across the 20 LGAs and 35 Local Council Development Areas were, on Saturday, screened to battle for the party’s tickets ahead of the July 24th polls.

Salawu is seeking re-election for another term of four years.

However, his bid appears to have suffered a major blow following the revelation of his deceitful past.

It was also gathered that he procured a new birth certificate on friday contrary to the affidavit he has been using before this false birth certificate

Sources said he is now parading a fake identity and also procuring evidences in the middle of a case which is very wrong, he also lied on oath despite the fact that he has been convicted in the past and with a notary public signing it.

“Those are enough evidences for him not to be cleared”, the source added.

“He procured a new birth certificate with false details of his parents, he changed the name of his father which is also an offence” the source said.

This is even though he bragged to wield personal and LG resources to ease past the screening and ultimately emerge flagbearer.

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It was also alleged that he recruited thugs and cultists from outside the LG to intimidate, harass maim and unleash terror on party members during the primaries.

Dullar, as he is fondly called is said to have lost the popular support he once enjoyed from the majority of the natives and party stalwarts owing to his dark past.

According to a petition by a concerned Somolu native and APC faithful, Victor Nkamiang, to the party secretary in the state, Sawalu uses a false identity after being convicted abroad.

“Sawalu was incontrovertibly convicted with the name Abdul Salau Ogembe (his real name) where he pled guilty before the Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the matter of United State of America vs. Abdul Salau Ogembe on conspiracy to commit bank fraud,” the petition dated May 11th read.

It added that Salawu fled the United States of America and began the sojourn of fraudulently changing his name to suit each situation he finds himself in.

“It is incontrovertible that Mr Abdul Hammed Salawu carries a Canadian passport under a totally different name, Abdul Tijani Ogembe because if the Canadian authorities get wind of his conviction in the United States of America, his passport will be revoked.

“Salawu wrote the National Examination Council (NECO) examination in Jun/Jul 2010 with totally different name HAMMED Salawu Adbdul, HAMMED as his Surname. He also sat for GCE in 2015 with the name SALAWU Abdul Hammed, with SALAWU as his surname, the current name with which he parades himself”.

The petition further revealed that Salawu never obtained any court papers to back his routine changes.

As seen in the document, all his family members still use ‘Ogembe’ as a surname.

“1. Senator Abdul Ahmed Ogembe (Elder Brother) (PDP Kogi State)

2. Abdul Sanni Ogembe (Younger Brother) (PDP Aspirant Kogi SHA)

3. Ms.Tanwa Ogembe (Younger Sister)

4. Abdul Yusuf Ogembe (Last Brother),” the petition noted.

It further said that due to the fear of contradiction, Salawu does not possess or have Bank Verification Number (BVN) nor a National Identification Number (NIN).

Salawu was recently linked to a high-profile criminal syndicate in the US, with one of his allies sentenced to jail.

This and other developments may ultimately count against the incumbent.

“There is tension in our camp” an aide of the chairman who pleaded to remain anonymous said.

“We really don’t know what to expect from the committee. It would be an embarrassment if Dullar is screened out, that is why we have resorted to lobbying.

“Sawalu is desperate. He aims to contest for the National Assembly if he can govern Somolu for another four years. But imagine what a disqualification would do to his rising reputation”.

Meanwhile, some indigenes have expressed joy over the news that Dullar could be disqualified.

Aside from controversies, his leadership style hasn’t gone quite well with his people.

He is accused of high-handedness, gross abuse of office, nepotism and disregard for constituted authorities.

“We are aware of his fraudulent activities,” a 75-year-old retired teacher said. “Some of us are old enough to know that the young man is not whom he parades himself to be.

” How can one man’s hand be soiled with too many controversies? An ex-convict, his name is fake, certificates are not original and everything around him are definitely lies.

“The reports of his disqualification by the APC didn’t come to us a shock. Somolu people deserve better. Not a convict with multiple identities. Not someone that is on the watch-list of many nations”.