Residents of Agege and Orile-Agege, under the aegis of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), on Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest over what they described as political imposition and lack of internal democracy in the selection of candidates for the upcoming local government elections.
The protest, which drew a large turnout, followed the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, where a candidate reportedly aligned with the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, was declared winner for the chairmanship slot of Agege Local Government.
The demonstrators, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “United We Stand Against Political Imposition,” “Justice for Agege,” and “Agege Rejects Manipulated Results,” expressed displeasure over what they termed undue influence in the internal party process.
According to the PCC chairman, Mr. Sabitu Kamorudeen, the results of the council primaries held on May 10, 2025, did not reflect the wishes of the majority of party members. He alleged that the process was manipulated to favor entrenched interests.
“These results are not only misleading but a gross misrepresentation of the democratic will of our party members in Agege and Orile-Agege. The outcome lacked due process and was marred by exclusionary tactics and undue interference,” he said.
Kamorudeen further stated that prior to the primaries, several aspirants were denied access to nomination forms and endorsements, adding that some were allegedly subjected to pressure to withdraw their aspirations.
He claimed that there had been an attempt to promote the candidacy of a close associate of Speaker Obasa, an effort that he said was later withdrawn following party consultations.
“Our preferred candidate remains Bukola Sofidiya, popularly known as Gidado. The attempt to present another candidate through non-transparent means is unacceptable to us and undermines party unity,” he said.
While calling on APC leadership at the state and national levels to intervene, Kamorudeen urged them to uphold the principles of fairness and internal democracy.
“We appeal to the party’s leadership, state chairman, National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and other stakeholders to ensure equity and justice in the conduct of party affairs. No individual should hold undue influence over the collective will of the people,” he added.
Efforts to reach Speaker Obasa or his aides for comments on the allegations were unsuccessful as of press time.
