LAGOS LG POLLS: APC PRIMARIES TO HOLD TODAY AMID HEAVY SECURITY

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By: Sefiu Ajape

Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries scheduled for today, May 10, 2025, at the State Secretariat, Acme Road, Ikeja, all preparations have been finalized to ensure a smooth and successful process.

The primaries are set to determine the APC’s chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the July 12 council elections.

Recall that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has set July 12 for the election of chairpersons and councilors for the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Lagos State has 377 councilors, each representing one of the 377 wards within the state’s 57 LGAs and LCDAs, as outlined by LASIEC.

Last week, the APC electoral committee cleared 432 chairmanship aspirants out of 470 who submitted nomination forms for the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs. The councillorship elections will take place across the wards of all 57 councils on the same day.

Furthermore, APC has announced that the list of candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship elections will be decided through consensus among party leaders, aspirants, and members across the 57 LGAs and LCDAs.

The party emphasized that adopting consensus lists for both the chairmanship and councillorship positions would ensure a peaceful primary process and maintain unity within Lagos APC.

It also highlighted that a united list of candidates would enhance the party’s chances of winning all elective seats in the state, noting that although there are 57 councils, the number of aspirants exceeds 400, and not all can hold office.

Babatunde Ogala, SAN, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, recently assured at a stakeholders’ forum that the committee has assembled a strong team to guarantee a smooth exercise.

Ogala also outlined the election guidelines, confirming that indirect primaries would be used.

According to him, “The constitution recognizes direct, indirect, and consensus primaries, but for this council primary, we are adopting indirect primaries. The electoral body, which are the delegates, have been constituted.”

“For chairmanship, the designated venue is the party Secretariat in Ogba, where all aspirants will converge. The aspirants are expected to come with only one agent.”

Ogala revealed that 38 chairmanship aspirants had been disqualified or voluntarily withdrew from the race ahead of the July 12 council polls.

Additionally, APC’s Lagos State chapter chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Tajudeen Olusi, Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and other leaders at a forum appealed to aspirants and their supporters to embrace peace in order to sustain current unity and ensure a seamless exercise in the party’s interest.

Others in attendance included the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa; the Senator representing Lagos West District, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; former Deputy Governor Olufemi Pedro, among others.

Insisting on rancor-free primaries, the leaders noted that the party leadership is seeking consensus in selecting the 57 council chairmanship candidates, which will be conducted through indirect polls at the party’s Secretariat.

In his address, Olusi urged aspirants to cooperate with the party leadership, saying, “We are here to advise you. Since the early days of democracy, primaries have always been through consensus. With patience and support, there will be a way out. That is why wisdom is applied in politics.”
All is set

Meanwhile, Publicity Secretary of APC Lagos chapter, Seye Oladejo, told Saturday Vanguard on Friday that the exercise would be held under tight security to prevent any possible breakdown of law and order.

Sources confirmed that on Friday, personnel from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Mobile Police of the Lagos State Police Command were stationed at key locations around the APC Secretariat in Acme, Ogba, in preparation for Saturday’s exercise.