Before the July 12 local government elections in Lagos State, some disgruntled members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) protested on Saturday, denouncing what they described as the imposition of chairmanship candidates in Yaba LCDA and Lagos Mainland Local Government.
The demonstration came after the party’s chairmanship primary, which was held at its state secretariat on Acme Road in Ikeja.
Through indirect voting and consensus, candidates were chosen for the majority of the 20 LGAs and 37 LCCDAs. But according to reports, the Lagos Mainland and Yaba councils were unable to reach an agreement, which caused discontent among party members.
The demonstrators, who first assembled along Apapa Road in Ebute Metta before moving to the Arise TV headquarters on Victoria Island, charged that local party leaders were trying to force unpopular candidates on other candidates without getting their approval.
Taorid Owolabi, speaking for the demonstrators, demanded a rescheduling of the primary in the impacted councils and maintained that no genuine agreement was reached. He cautioned that unless all candidates agreed unanimously, any forced candidature would be contested in court.
The demonstrators contend that the purported imposition erodes the democratic values the party professes to support and may exacerbate internal conflicts before the local elections.
“There was no consensus reached despite extensive consultations among aspirants within both LGAs,” he said. This emphasises even more how important an open and inclusive process is.
“We humbly request that the State Working Committee choose a suitable location and reschedule the primary for a later time.
“We also call for the adoption of updated guidelines that fully comply with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act, and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission’s provisions, while also taking into account the unique circumstances in our LG and LCDA.
” Sodeeq Olawepo, another protester, warned that if candidates cannot agree on anything, it could lead to legal disputes that could ultimately cost the party its victory to the opposition.
We fully understand the ongoing intra-party crisis that is affecting our local party structure in both Yaba LCDA and Lagos Mainland LG,” he stated. As a result, the Lagos State High Court is currently considering a lawsuit (Suit No. ID/8948GCM/2025).
“We urge well-meaning members of our wonderful party to step in and assist in bringing peace and justice back to our LG and LCDA.
The APC performance in the next local government elections and possibly the general election in 2027 could suffer greatly if this isn’t done. More than fifty candidates for chairmanships have been selected from the state’s APC primaries as of Saturday night.
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