Tensions are rising within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the July 12 local government elections, as numerous chairmanship aspirants and party leaders have condemned alleged moves to impose candidates rather than allow a fair and transparent selection process.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had earlier released the timetable and guidelines for elections across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), covering 57 chairmanship seats and 376 councillorship positions.
As the tenure of current local officials nears its end, party leadership reportedly pushed for consensus arrangements for selecting council primary candidates, scheduled to hold Saturday. Local party leaders subsequently formed internal screening committees to recommend consensus candidates.
However, these developments have triggered protests across various LGAs, with party members alleging the process is being manipulated to favor certain candidates.
In Ojokoro LCDA, the Ojokoro Apex Council screened three aspirants and announced Mobolaji Sanusi as the consensus candidate. This was documented in a letter to State APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, signed by former federal lawmakers Ipoola Omisore and Adisa Owolabi, and included the signature of current LCDA Chairman Idowu Tijani.
Conflict arose when Rosiji Yemisi was declared a candidate by another faction of party leaders, sparking accusations of imposition. A member of this opposing group, speaking anonymously, accused the apex council of pushing a “foreigner” allegedly backed by Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, warning of potential backlash over such interference.
In Yaba LCDA, another crisis erupted over the alleged plan to substitute the leading aspirant’s name with that of Babatunde Ojo, who ranked 11th out of 14 aspirants during the screening. A coalition of landlords, voters, and political stakeholders, led by Amoo Ismail, petitioned First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and President Bola Tinubu, urging intervention to prevent a repeat of past impositions that stifled development.
The coalition stressed the importance of grassroots participation, stating:
“It is unjust and disheartening that a single individual continues to unilaterally impose a chairmanship candidate upon us… A more inclusive and consultative approach will yield a more favourable outcome for both the local government and our great party.”
An aide to one of the aspirants alleged that some leaders were falsely invoking President Tinubu’s name to justify their choices, which he described as disrespectful to the President’s stance on internal democracy.
Opeyemi Ahmed, media aide to outgoing Agboyi-Ketu LCDA Chairman Dele Osinowo, criticized the consensus process in a now-deleted Facebook post, warning that such actions could affect President Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 elections:
“If a few are writing names at the top and using fake strategy to call for consensus at the bottom, then Tinubu should be ready to lose come 2027.”
APC chieftain Fouad Oki issued a stern warning in an open letter titled “Lagos APC’s Crisis of Democracy: Internal Strife and the Risk to President Tinubu’s Stronghold,” calling on the party to abandon imposition and embrace true democracy.
“Unity forged under injustice is brittle; lasting strength requires inclusivity… Failing that, our party risks losing Lagos not to an opposition challenger, but to its own internal discord,” Oki warned.
In response to the controversies, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo dismissed claims of imposition, affirming that the primary process was still ongoing. He noted that consensus remains a legitimate and constitutionally accepted method and is useful for managing post-primary tensions.
“For those who have reached consensus, there will be affirmation; for others, their delegates will decide their preferred candidates,” Oladejo said.
