The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held its straw poll to select candidates for the forthcoming council polls in Lagos State, with public expectation that the exercise would showcase the discipline and cohesion of a close-knit political grouping. Again, the party missed out on the opportunity to do things differently, and now a cause for concern among many, KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) came out as an early bird, giving the impression that it was indeed the party to beat in the forthcoming Local Government council elections, billed to hold on July 12, 2025. That was until the party organised its primary election, which was marred by controversy and widespread protests

Aggrieved members promptly rejected the outcome of the May 10, 2025, exercise, threatening to challenge the process that threw up disputed candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship positions for the 20 local government 37 development areas.

APC members trooped out in their hundreds at various locations, including Blue Roof in Agege, Somolu, Third Mainland Bridge, and Ikeja, among other places, to express their discontent about the outcome.

The protesters displayed placards with painful messages, such as “Our votes don’t count”, “APC, where is your internal democracy?” and “Justice for APC aspirants”. They collectively voiced their dissatisfaction with the outcomes, citing manipulation, exclusion, and abuse of party machinery by entrenched interests.

While alleging that the process was compromised, some aspirants said they were denied participation, as their nomination forms were withheld and endorsements refused.

“The exercise was characterised by imposition,” they claimed, disclosing that “favoured candidates emerged as winners, regardless of the wishes of the party faithful.”

The aspirants that lost out in the primaries expressed frustration, saying that their trust in the party’s leadership had been eroded, even as they called on the party’s leadership, particularly the Lagos State APC Chairman, the National Working Committee, and the Board of Trustees, to intervene and address their grievances.
Plea for remediation

Further, they demanded a review of the primary results, citing irregularities and a lack of transparency.

Specifically, the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of Agege and Orile-Agege, locked horns with the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and his group over the outcome of the results in the axis.

The PCC rallied hundreds of members at Blue Roof, Agege, protesting the result of the Agege LGA and Orile-Agege LCDA at the primaries.

Adorning vests, the group held several placards and banners bearing inscriptions like “Obasa o to ge (Obasa, it’s enough),” “Agege says no to Obasa oppression,” “Obasa owns the structure and the delegates, therefore there cannot be justice,” and “Another evil eight years of imposition,” among others.

The protest was against the results of the primaries that produced candidates for the Agege and Orile Agege councils, where Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Akinola Abiodun emerged as the chairmanship candidates, respectively.

In his remarks, the spokesperson for the PCC, Adetunji Akinyemi, declared: “We reject the results being circulated from the APC’s local government primaries held on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

“These results are not only misleading but a gross misrepresentation of the democratic will of our party members in Agege and Orile-Agege. The outcome was not a reflection of due process, but a culmination of manipulation, exclusion, and abuse of party machinery by entrenched interests who have hijacked the local political space.

“While we, as committed members of the APC, acknowledge and respect the supremacy of party directives and structures, such deference must not be misconstrued as passive endorsement of tyranny or authoritarianism cloaked as leadership.

“The political climate in Agege and Orile-Agege is uniquely troubling. For over a decade, a carefully orchestrated structure dominated by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has monopolised power.”

He noted that the exercise reserved unchecked control over local government executives and ward officers who, he said, by design, form the voting delegation in primaries, adding: “This structure, driven by fear, patronage, and intimidation, has effectively disenfranchised independent voices and reform-minded aspirants within the party.

“The implication is clear—any primary process steered under such influence cannot, by any objective measure, produce a fair or credible outcome.

“Numerous aspirants under our banner were denied the most basic rights of participation-nomination, forms were withheld, endorsements were refused, and in many cases, threats and coercion were deployed to suppress their ambitions.”

They, therefore, called on the party’s leadership, especially the Lagos State APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and other well-meaning stakeholders to intervene.

“What we reject – firmly and finally – is the use of party structures to enforce one man’s selfish agenda and long-term positioning for governorship ambition,” he added.

Also, the Ebony Campaign Team, a group within the APC in Lagos State, rejected the primary election held on Saturday for the Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

While alleging massive fraud and misplacement of justice, the team claimed that its principal, Idowu Daramola, won the primary election.

The group’s spokesperson, Morufdeen Bello, stated that the exercise was marred by electoral malpractices, including the declaration of Daramola scoring zero votes despite allegedly scoring 17 out of 25 votes.

“It was a travesty of justice, an affront to logic, and an insult to the intelligence of the good people and delegates of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA,” he remarked.

The group claimed that the party’s electoral committee attempted to impose an unpopular candidate on the people and warned of the danger this poses to the APC in Lagos.

However, responding to the allegations, supporters of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa disputed the claims, describing them as “misleading” and “false.”

For instance, the first Executive Chairman Agege LGA, Alhaji Owolabi Dada, maintained that the primary elections were free and fair, asserting that claims of imposition came from “sore losers” who had distanced themselves from the party and its activities.

His words: “It is a general knowledge that the leadership of the party in the state, in their wisdom, adopted consensus or delegate voting for the primaries with party local government executives as the voters.

“In Agege and Orile-Agege, executive members were constituted about four years ago when the aforementioned persons distanced themselves from the party in both council areas and its activities, as well as stayed away from our dear communities.

“In that context, it’s only people with limited education and obscurity of positions that would consider themselves as contenders and not pretenders in the just concluded primaries.”

Winners, losers and fence-mending
Some aspirants that were elected unopposed included Motunrayo Gbadebo for Ijede LCDA, Abiola Jubril for Iba LCDA, Azeez Kareem for Oto-Awori LCDA and Rasak Kasali for Lekki LCDA. Some chairmen also scaled through the hurdles to secure the APC ticket for a second term, among whom are Moyosore Ogunlewe in Kosofe, Bolanle Bada in Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Kehinde Oloyede in Oshodi-Isolo LGA and Usman Hamzat for Ifako-Ijaiye, among others.

Five people also defeated the incumbent council chairmen to pick the APC ticket. They are Azeez Ogidan for Coker Aguda LCDA, Abiodun Ishola Jimoh for Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, Moyo Adebanjo for Onigbongbo LCDA, Agbaje Abiodun for Ayobo Ipaja and Samson Agunbiade for Eti-Osa East LCDA. Abiodun Akinola and Lateef Ashimi defeated former Lagos Assembly members – Yinka Ogundinmu and Rabiu Olowo in Agege and Somolu, respectively.

The primary election did not turn out well for many incumbents, who were denied the opportunity of enjoying a second term. In Coker Aguda LCDA, Rasak Olamilekan lost to Azeez Ogidan, while Jimoh Ishola picked the council ticket ahead of Oladapo Famuyiwa in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA. John Ogundare also lost to Samson Agunbiade in Eti-Osa East LCDA. The hope of Olufunke Hassan and Ladi Oluwaloni running for another term, having replaced their bosses who died in office last year, was dashed in Onigbongbo and Ayobo-Ipaja LCDAs.

The outcome of the election was also bad news for the General Manager of the Lagos Ferry Services, LAGFERRY, Ladi Balogun, who lost to Olalekan Akindipe in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government. The immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), Mr Mobolaji Sanusi, also lost during the primary election. Delegates also rejected some former federal and state lawmakers during the Saturday primary, denying them the opportunity to serve in the executive arm of government.

The controversy surrounding the APC primaries has exposed deep-seated divisions within the party, with various factions grappling for control and influence ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.

The outcome of the primaries has also raised questions about the party’s internal democracy and the role of powerful individuals in shaping the party’s affairs.

Speaking with The Guardian, a Public Affairs analyst, Abimbola Bankole, stressed that the voices of aggrieved members must be heard to preserve democracy.

According to her, even President Bola Tinubu was given a chance before the election that brought him into office.

“When it seemed former President Muhammadu Buhari had a consensus candidate, Tinubu kicked against the party having a consensus and demanded that the primary be held. That’s why he’s president today,” Bankole noted.

She questioned the party’s approach in Lagos, saying, “I heard the party already told aspirants to agree to a consensus. Is that why the election was shrouded with questions about its fairness?” As the president hails from Lagos, Bankole stressed that all eyes are on the state, making it crucial for the party to put its house in order.

Meanwhile, the party has inaugurated an appeal committee to look into the alleged malpractices, manipulation, and allegations raised by the aspirants.

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Oluseye Oladejo, stated that the committee is made up of Lawal Pedro SAN, who is also the Attorney-General and Honourable Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, and Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi as Secretary.

“Other members are Rt. Hon. Jokotola Pelumi, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi, a former honourable member of the House of Assembly and State Secretary of the party, and Chief Chukwudi Adiukwu.

According to him, the appeal committee was necessary to look into pockets of protests from dissatisfied aspirants who participated in the exercise.