A crisis is brewing within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the upcoming July 12 local government elections, as several chairmanship aspirants and party leaders have raised alarm over what they describe as attempts to impose candidates through a flawed consensus process.
The discontent cuts across various local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs), with aggrieved members accusing influential party figures of sidelining grassroots democracy in favor of handpicked aspirants.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had earlier in April released the timetable and guidelines for the elections, covering 57 council chairmanship seats and 376 councillorship positions across the state’s 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs. With the tenure of the current local council officials set to end in July, tensions have intensified.
According to a 9am News report, the APC leadership has pushed for the adoption of a consensus arrangement to select candidates for the primaries scheduled for Saturday. However, this move has sparked widespread protests from party members, who allege the consensus method is being manipulated to favor certain candidates.
In Ojokoro LCDA, the Ojokoro Apex Council screened three aspirants and declared Mobolaji Sanusi as the consensus candidate. However, days later, another faction announced Rosiji Yemisi as its candidate, leading to sharp divisions. Some party members have accused the apex council of trying to impose an outsider allegedly backed by Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, warning that such moves could alienate grassroots supporters.
Similarly, in Yaba LCDA, protests erupted over alleged plans to replace William Babatunde, who reportedly topped the screening exercise with 85 percent, with Babatunde Ojo, who ranked 11th. A coalition of landlords, voters, and political stakeholders led by Amoo Ismail has petitioned First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and President Bola Tinubu, urging intervention to avert what they describe as a repeat of past political impositions that stifled development.
An aide to one aspirant, speaking anonymously, accused some leaders of falsely invoking the President’s name to justify their actions, calling it “disrespectful” to Tinubu’s known support for internal democracy.
The outgoing Agboyi-Ketu LCDA chairman’s media aide, Opeyemi Ahmed, also criticized the consensus method, warning in a now-deleted Facebook post that such impositions could hurt Tinubu’s reelection chances in 2027.
Senior APC figure Fouad Oki issued a stark warning in an open letter, urging party leaders to respect internal democracy or risk electoral backlash, stressing that disenfranchised grassroots members could undermine the party’s strength in Lagos and beyond.
However, APC Lagos Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo dismissed allegations of imposition, emphasizing that the primary process was still ongoing and that consensus remains a constitutionally recognized and historically effective mechanism within the party. He assured that areas lacking consensus would go to the delegate primaries, and that the party’s internal conflict resolution systems would address any fallout.
“We cherish internal democracy in our party,” Oladejo said. “Nobody is imposing anything on anybody.”
As the primary process moves forward, all eyes are now on the APC’s ability to manage the discontent and maintain party unity ahead of the critical July polls.
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