AD denies merging withother parties By Tunde Akinola

THE Lagos State chapter of the Alliancefor Democracy (AD), has
announced commencement of its membership registration ahead of the
2015 general elections.
AD also debunked the speculations that it has merged with other
parties to form a new political group.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Lagos at the weekend,
the party chairman, Mr. Kola Ajayi stated: "Our renewed vigour for
membership drive is to bring the AD back to its glorious days when it
used to be the number one party in Lagos State. We ruled Lagos State
for eight years, the longest by any other political party."
Ajayi noted that the AD would contest in all elective positions in the
2015 polls within and outside the state. "We contested the
governorship election in 2007 with Hakeem Gbajabiamila as our
candidate. We already have five persons that have indicated interest
to contest on our platform," the state chairman said.
He said the AD remained recognised by the Independent National
ElectoralCommission (INEC). According to Ajayi, the insinuation that
AD has merged with other parties is being spread by political
opponents who are afraid of the party's existence.
"The AD wishes to share with our media friends that there is a false
and deliberately misleading propaganda that AD does not exist or that
AD has merged with another party, or that it was AD that became
another party. This is a lie that you, our friend in the media, must
not unknowingly help to promote," Ajayi said.
According to him, "if AD as a party, had truly gone out of existence,
its councillorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State would not have
participated in the recent council election, where Itoro Edet of AD
polled 6, 841 to defeat his ACN challenger who scored 3, 426 votes. If
we are not in existence, we won't have been able to win that
election."
Ajayi disclosed it has taken the Lagos State Independent Electoral
Commission (LASIEC) to court over its alleged refusal to allow it
participate in the last local government election.
"Lagos State so-called Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC)
simply refused to allow us to participate or even register in the
local governmentelections. This is undermining democracy in Lagos. AD
is still in court,trying now to go to the Court of Appeal to challenge
this travesty of democracy," he said.