Lagos APC Faces Crisis Over Alleged Candidate Imposition in Ojokoro LCDA

Tensions are escalating within the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the July 12, 2025, local government elections approach, with chairmanship aspirants and party leaders protesting what they call a deliberate plot to impose candidates, undermining grassroots democracy. The crisis, reported across multiple local government areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), centers on allegations that party elites are handpicking candidates rather than allowing fair primaries for the 57 chairmanship and 376 councillorship seats, as outlined by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in April 2025.

In Ojokoro LCDA, the conflict intensified after the Ojokoro Apex Council, led by former House of Representatives members Ipoola Omisore and Adisa Owolabi, announced Mobolaji Sanusi as the consensus chairmanship candidate following a screening of three aspirants. A letter to state APC chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, signed by leaders including incumbent LCDA chairman Idowu Tijani, formalized Sanusi’s selection. However, days later, a rival faction declared Rosiji Yemisi as their candidate after a separate screening, sparking outrage. An anonymous source from the dissenting group accused the Apex Council of imposing Sanusi, allegedly backed by Lagos State House Speaker Mudasiru Obasa, labeling him a “foreigner” from Agege with no local ties.

The APC’s push for consensus, intended to streamline the primaries held on May 10, 2025, has instead fueled protests, with members decrying the subversion of democratic processes. In Ojokoro, aggrieved aspirants, including William Babatunde, who reportedly scored 85% in screenings compared to another aspirant’s 65%, petitioned First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for intervention, warning of developmental setbacks from imposed leadership. The unrest, echoed in posts on X like @MobilePunch and @BusinessDayNg, threatens APC’s unity in Lagos, a stronghold critical for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, as critics demand transparent primaries to reflect the people’s will.