Six Local Government chairmen in Lagos who sought the renewal of their tenures, failed to win tickets of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday during the party’s Primaries held in Ikeja, just as some aspirants and their agents accused the party of manipulation to favour the anointed aspirants.
At the end of the exercise, a total of 55 chairmanship candidates were elected to fly the party’s flag in the July 12 Local Government Election across the state.
The remaining two council areas failed to participate in the primary election due to the absence of their delegates. They are Lagos Mainland LG and Yaba LCDA.
Announcing winners after voting, the Chairman of the APC’s Electoral Committee Mr Babatunde Ogala, SAN, said four chairmanship candidates emerged through consensus while 51 others contested and winners emerged.
Click here for list of candidates elected at the primary election.
Incumbent Chairmen who lost to win a ticket to re-contest on the APC platform include Coker Aguda, Agbado Oke-Odo, Onigbongbo, Ayobo Ipaja, and Eti-Osa.
While Moyo Adebanjo defeated Rakiat Hassan in Onigbongbo LCDA, Ladi Oluwaloni of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA could not secure a return to the council after taking over the leadership following the death of the former Chairman, Bolanle Shobowale, losing to Agbaje Abiodun, an aspirant believed to have been favoured by chieftain and former lawmaker, Bisi Yusuf.
Jimoh Ishola won thr APC ticket for Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, defeating the incumbent, Oladapo Famuyiwa, Coker Aguda’s Rasak Olamilekan lost to Azeez Ogidan while Eti-Osa East LCDA’s John Ogundare losing to the former Chairman, Samson Agunbiade.
Meanwhile, some aspirants and their agents expressed surprises and protested the outcome of the election in some local governments.
In Eti Osa LG that delegates elected their Aspirants were shocked to see the outcome , a delegate, from the local government states that ” it is a daylight robbery from the chairman Electoral Committee who acclaimed want to keep his integrity , how will delegate votes without their agents inside the voting hall , LASIEC official were kept out and journalist barred , if truly Hon Ogala want to show transparency while not allow every delegates vote outside”.
He further states that these are why sometimes we lost national elections unlike 2023 , with the same trend am seeing another failure again because as I speak the house of Representative is a Labour Party member , just because some leaders are after their personal family interest ” he said .
Consequently, Ogala, who admitted that there might be a few human errors, urged the aggrieved to exercise their right to appeal after the exercise.
He said that the decision of the committee could be overturned by the APC Appeal Committee.
Commending the delegates for patience, cooperation and understanding in the entire process, Ogala said the exercise had been transparent and carried out in the full glare of aspirants and their agents.
