BREAKING: APC Primaries Set For Today As Party Finalizes Arrangements

All arrangements have been finalised for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries scheduled to take place today, May 10, 2025, at the State Secretariat, Acme Road, Ikeja.

Naija News understands that the primaries will determine the APC’s candidates for the upcoming council elections, including chairmanship and councillorship positions for the July 12, 2025, local government elections.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has slated July 12 for the election of chairmen and councillors for all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.

A total of 377 councillors will be elected, representing the 377 wards across the state.

The primaries, which will produce candidates for these positions, are expected to be competitive, with over 400 aspirants vying for the spots.

According to LASIEC, each of the 377 wards in Lagos State will have a representative, ensuring widespread representation across the state.

The APC electoral committee has cleared 432 of the 470 chairmanship aspirants who submitted their nomination forms for the 20 LGAS and 37 LCDAS. The councillorship primaries will be conducted simultaneously across all wards of the 57 councils on the same day.

In a move to ensure unity and avoid discord during the primaries, the APC has emphasised that the list of candidates will be drawn through consensus, a decision aimed at maintaining party cohesion and guaranteeing a smooth election process.

The party leadership expressed confidence that using consensus lists for both chairmanship and councillorship candidates will help avoid conflicts and ensure the party’s success in the elections.

“We have 57 councils, but the number of aspirants is over 400, and all of them can’t sit in office,” the party stated.

Electoral Committee Prepares For Indirect Primaries

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala (SAN) at a recent stakeholders’ forum, assured party members that the process would be seamless.

He confirmed that indirect primaries would be used for the election of candidates, with delegates already chosen for the process.

“The constitution recognizes direct, indirect, and consensus primaries, but for this council primary, we are adopting indirect primaries,” Ogala stated.

For the chairmanship race, the designated venue is the party Secretariat in Ogba, where all aspirants are expected to gather. Each aspirant can bring only one agent to the venue. Ogala also disclosed that 38 chairmanship aspirants had either been disqualified or had voluntarily withdrawn from the race.

The Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Tajudeen Olusi, and other senior party figures, including Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, and Senator Oluranti Adebule, have all appealed to aspirants to maintain peace and unity throughout the primary election process.

Olusi urged party members to cooperate with the leadership, emphasising that the primary goal is unity within the party. “Since the early days of democracy, primaries have always been through consensus. With patience and support, there will be a way out,” he said.

The APC Lagos Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, in an interview with Vanguard, confirmed that the primaries would be held under tight security to prevent any potential disturbances.

According to Vanguard, during a visit to the APC Secretariat on Friday, security personnel from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Mobile Police of the Lagos State Police Command were stationed strategically, ensuring a secure environment for the event.

Election materials and the venue for the primaries have been prepared, and the party is poised to proceed with the election process.