Tension rose within the Lagos State chapter of the APC on Tuesday as party members from different constituencies staged a protest over the conduct of the recently concluded House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly primaries.
The protesters, who came from constituencies including Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency, Amuwo-Odofin Constituency II, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Oshodi-Isolo Constituency I, and Somolu Constituency II, called on the party leadership to investigate complaints linked to the primaries and cancel results where necessary.
The APC had conducted its legislative primaries in May and later announced successful candidates. However, some aspirants and supporters have continued to reject the results, insisting that the published outcomes did not reflect the votes cast during the direct primary elections.
Among those challenging the process was House of Representatives aspirant for Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency, Ayodele Adewale. He questioned the conduct of the election across the constituency’s wards, alleging that accreditation procedures did not follow established guidelines.
According to his petition, party officials allegedly failed to use the official membership register during accreditation. He also claimed that party slips used during the process lacked proper verification. Based on these concerns, he asked the appeal committee to investigate the election and void the outcome.
Another aspirant, David Doherty, who contested for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat in Amuwo-Odofin Constituency II, also challenged the process. He alleged that aspirants were left out of important decisions before the election. He further claimed that violence disrupted voting in some riverine communities, forcing voters to flee polling centres after gunshots were reportedly fired.
Doherty urged the party to cancel the result in the constituency and punish anyone found responsible for misconduct or acts of violence.
In Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, party members who submitted petitions alleged that election guidelines were ignored. They claimed that some officials failed to appear at collation centres and that certain results were altered during the collation process. The petitioners also alleged that vote figures were inflated in some wards and requested a detailed review of result sheets and signatures used during the exercise.
Speaking on behalf of protesters from Amuwo-Odofin Constituency II, Prince Hakeem Ola argued that party members should be allowed to choose their candidates without interference. He maintained that the wishes of party members must be respected and alleged that efforts were being made to overturn the outcome of the primary election.
Another protester from Agege, Oluwasola Olugbemi, warned against attempts to impose candidates on party members. He said such actions could weaken confidence in the party’s internal democratic process and create dissatisfaction among members.
Protesters from Oshodi-Isolo Constituency I and Somolu Constituency II also submitted separate petitions. They urged the party leadership to protect the results already forwarded to the APC National Secretariat and prevent any changes that could alter the outcome of the primaries.
Despite rainfall earlier in the day, the protesters remained at the party secretariat, chanting songs and demanding that the party address their complaints.
Meanwhile, the Lagos APC dismissed reports circulating online that the state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, was harassed during the protest.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Omobola Akingbehin, the party said Ojelabi was not present at the secretariat when the demonstration took place.
The party stated that members have the right to express their grievances through lawful means but advised aggrieved aspirants to make use of the internal mechanisms already established for resolving disputes arising from the primaries.
The APC further urged members and stakeholders to remain calm and rely only on official information from the party while efforts continue to address complaints linked to the primary elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.