Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state took to the streets on Sunday to express frustration over what they claimed was the imposition of chairmanship candidates in Lagos Mainland Local Government and Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
The protest was triggered by the outcome of the APC’s chairmanship primary held at the party’s state secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja.
While most of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) had candidates emerge through consensus or indirect voting, the process reportedly broke down in the Lagos Mainland and Yaba areas.
Demonstrators gathered on Apapa Road in Ebute Metta and later moved their protest to Arise TV’s office in Victoria Island, accusing local APC leaders of sidelining other aspirants in favour of handpicked candidates.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Taorid Owolabi insisted that a true consensus was never achieved and demanded that the primaries in both councils be rescheduled.
He warned that any move to force candidates on party members without broad agreement would be challenged in court.
Owolabi said, “Despite extensive consultations among aspirants within both LGAs, no consensus had been reached. This further underscore the need for a transparent and inclusive process.
“We respectfully call on the State Working Committee to reschedule the primary for a later date and select a suitable venue.
“We also urge the adoption of revised guidelines that reflect the peculiar circumstances in our LG and LCDA, in full compliance with the provisions of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, the Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
Another party member, Sodeeq Olawepo, echoed similar concerns, warning that the situation could spiral into legal conflicts and weaken the APC’s electoral chances.
He said, “We are fully aware of the ongoing intra-party crisis affecting our local party structure in both Lagos Mainland LG and Yaba LCDA.
“This has led to a legal suit (Suit No. ID/8948GCM/2025) currently pending before the Lagos State High Court.
“We call on well-meaning stakeholders of our great party to intervene and help restore peace and fairness to our LG and LCDA. Failure to do so could have grave consequences on the APC’s performance in the upcoming Local Government elections and even the 2027 general election.”
As of Saturday evening, over 50 chairmanship candidates had been selected across the state through the APC primary process. However, the unresolved issues in Lagos Mainland and Yaba continue to stir unrest within the party’s local ranks.