Tension Boils In Lagos APC As Imposition Plot Sparks Internal Revolt Ahead Of July 12 Polls

Tensions are escalating within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the July 12 local government elections, as several chairmanship aspirants and party stakeholders raise alarm over alleged plans to impose candidates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Protests have broken out across numerous Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), with party members accusing key leaders of sidelining grassroots democracy and undermining a transparent selection process.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) recently released the election timetable, which covers 57 chairmanship seats. However, as the current council tenures near expiration, the APC leadership has pushed for consensus candidates to emerge ahead of Saturday’s primaries — a move that has triggered backlash.

In Ojokoro LCDA, controversy erupted after Mobolaji Sanusi was announced as consensus candidate by one faction, only for another group to conduct a separate screening and endorse Rosiji Yemisi. Insiders allege the Sanusi endorsement was orchestrated by leaders loyal to Speaker Mudasiru Obasa, sparking fears of external imposition.

Similarly, in Yaba LCDA, a coalition of landlords, voters, and political stakeholders accused the party of replacing top scorer William Babatunde (85%) with Babatunde Ojo, who ranked 11th with 65%, in a move they claim reflects a deliberate manipulation of results. The coalition petitioned First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

An aide to one of the aspirants alleged party leaders were falsely invoking the President’s name to justify candidate imposition. Meanwhile, Opeyemi Ahmed, media aide to the outgoing Agboyi-Ketu LCDA chairman, warned that continued imposition practices could threaten APC’s dominance in Lagos and even jeopardize Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Senior party figure Fouad Oki issued a stern warning in an open letter, urging leaders to uphold internal democracy or risk alienating grassroots supporters. “Unity forged under injustice is brittle,” he said, cautioning that the APC could lose Lagos not to the opposition, but to internal disunity.

In response, APC Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo dismissed the allegations, insisting that the primaries were still ongoing and that consensus remains a constitutionally recognized and practical approach to managing party affairs.

“Consensus has worked well for us,” Oladejo said. “Where it fails, delegates will decide. Allegations of imposition are premature.”