The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has commenced a formal review of grievances arising from its recently concluded local government primaries, with the party’s Appeal Committee confirming the receipt of over 100 petitions from dissatisfied aspirants.
The petitions, lodged by aspirants for both chairmanship and councillorship positions, cut across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas. Many of the aggrieved party members are challenging the legitimacy of the primaries conducted last Saturday, citing irregularities and alleged imposition of candidates.
The APC leadership on Monday constituted an appeal panel chaired by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, to address the growing number of complaints.
It was gathered that the panel had received submissions from 45 chairmanship aspirants and 59 councillorship hopefuls.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Lagos APC, Oluseye Oladejo, said that the party was committed to addressing all genuine concerns in line with internal democratic processes.
The party has received “45 chairmanship petitions and 59 councillorship petitions,”;; he stated.
“The committee will conclude its assignment this week,”;; the party’s image maker added.
The APC Appeal Committee had set a 12 p.m. deadline on Tuesday for aggrieved aspirants to submit their petitions contesting the outcomes of the party’s recent local government primaries.
The United Action for Democracy, UAD, a civil society organisation, has called for an independent investigation into the controversies surrounding the conduct of the APC primaries in Lagos.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday in Abule Egba, Lagos, the General Secretary of the group, Kunle Ajayi, expressed concern over the implications of the flawed process. He warned that the irregularities witnessed could have far-reaching consequences for the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
“an example of how the local government autonomy and democracy are being rubbished by the powers that be, denying the working people ample chances to participate in true governance,”;; Ajayi said.
The group alleged a “subversion of democratic norms during the recently conducted APC local government primary elections in Lagos State.”;;
“In Agege, there have been massive protests over impositions. These actions not only threaten the sanctity of the democratic process but also set a dangerous precedent for future elections, including the 2027 general election.”;;
Ajayi warned that if investigations were not done, the development could affect the 2027 elections “and further alienate Nigerians from democratic participation.”;;
He added, “We stand firm in our resolve to expose, challenge, and resist all forms of anti-democratic manipulation. We call on all lovers of democracy, within and outside Nigeria, to join us in the struggle.”;;
