Lagos APC insists published candidates’ list stands amid protest

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is standing firm on its published list of candidates for the 2027 general elections. This stance comes despite significant protests and allegations of manipulation from party stakeholders. Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, asserted that the list represents the outcome of party primaries and that the state chapter merely published the results from a committee appointed by the national headquarters.

The publication, which appeared in The Nation newspaper on May 25, named candidates for the House of Representatives and the state House of Assembly. Notable names included James Abiodun Faleke for Ikeja and Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa for Agege in the House of Representatives. Olabisi Adebanjo was highlighted as the sole female candidate among the 24 House of Representatives nominees for Alimosho Federal Constituency.

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I can’t say the list published is the final list because we are a state chapter within the national structure. What happens if the national leadership reviews the report of the Appeal Committee? But for now, as far as the Lagos APC is concerned, those are our candidates.

However, the list has ignited controversy. Some aspirants and stakeholders have rejected the results, claiming the exercise favored a specific bloc within the party. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and daughter of the President, publicly voiced concerns, threatening protests and urging an investigation into the primary complaints before the results are ratified.

Ojelabi acknowledged that aggrieved aspirants could submit petitions to the appeal committee, whose report has been sent to the national secretariat. He stressed that the APC national leadership holds the ultimate authority over the primary outcomes. "The number of those aggrieved is huge. We persuade them to let us work together. This is our party because the larger prospect of the outcome for our party is bigger than any individual," Ojelabi stated, indicating ongoing efforts to reconcile dissatisfied members and maintain party unity.

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The number of those aggrieved is huge. We persuade them to let us work together. This is our party because the larger prospect of the outcome for our party is bigger than any individual.