Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege and Orile-Agege Local Government Areas of Lagos State have denied allegations that candidates for the upcoming council elections were imposed on the party.
The rebuttal follows claims of irregularities and imposition in the party’s recently concluded primary elections, held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at the APC state secretariat. The primaries, which covered all 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs), produced chairmanship and councillorship candidates through delegate voting and consensus.
While the results, released by the Election Committee chaired by Babatunde Ogala, named chairmanship candidates for nearly all councils—excluding Yaba LCDA and Mainland LCDA—controversy has trailed the outcome, with some party members alleging that the process was flawed and tilted in favor of select aspirants.
Agege and Orile-Agege LGAs, where Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Idowu Akinola emerged as APC chairmanship candidates respectively, have not been spared the imposition claims.
In response, leaders of the party in both councils issued a communique on Tuesday, May 13, after a meeting held at the Agege Local Government Secretariat. They strongly refuted the imposition allegations.
The communique was signed by key APC figures, including:
- Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa
- State Assembly member representing Agege 02, Alhaji Jubril Kareem
- Member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Wale Ahmed
- Special Adviser to the Governor, Afolabi Tajudeen
- Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo
- APC APEX Leader, Alhaji Safari Adaranijo
- First Executive Chairman of Agege LG, Alhaji Genius Owolabi Dada
- Executive Chairmen of Agege LG and Orile-Agege LCDA, High Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Sunday Johnson Babatunde
- Former LAHASCOM Chairman, Richard Akin Osungboye
- Former APC Party Chairman, Alhaji Ayoni Shittu
- APC Chairmen of Agege and Orile-Agege, Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Salau Olaniyi
- Former council chairman and Assembly member, Rotimi Adeshina
- APC Leader, Elder Sunday Ajide
- Former Assembly member, Ashimiu Adebayo
In the communique, the leaders stated:
“Those faulting the process that led to the emergence of APC candidates for chairmanship and councillorship across the 13 wards had long abandoned both the party and the communities.”
They insisted that the primaries were free and fair, describing the imposition claims as misleading and baseless.
“Those making these false claims are sore losers who have, for years, distanced themselves from the APC and local affairs,” the statement added.
The communique specifically named some of the critics, including former MD of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa; ex-House of Representatives member, Dr. Samuel Adejare; and former three-time Assembly member, Oluyinka Ogundimu, alleging that they have not resided in Agege for years and are no longer active in local party activities.
Also mentioned were chairmanship aspirants such as Biodun Ogunji and Bukola Sofidiya (aka Gidado), both of whom are based abroad, and Sola Osolana, a UK-based politician who previously contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last council election.
The APC leaders concluded by affirming their confidence in the primary process and the legitimacy of the candidates that emerged.
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