APC stakeholders protest alleged imposition of chairmanship candidate ahead of Lagos LG polls
Lagos – A meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, was disrupted on Monday following protests over the alleged imposition of a chairmanship candidate ahead of the July 12 Lagos Council elections.
The meeting, which began peacefully at 4:00 PM at 7, Ijaoye Street, quickly escalated when some aggrieved party members and leaders stormed the venue in protest.
Chaos ensued as protesters chanted anti-imposition slogans, accusing the party leadership of forcing a chairmanship candidate on them. “Ole” (thief), “we cannot take it,” “Obasa should not impose chairman on us from Agege,” and “Sanusi is not from Ojokoro” were some of the slogans shouted by the demonstrators, who claimed the candidate, identified as Sanusi, had no local ties to Ojokoro and was being imposed by party leaders from Agege.
“We cannot accept an outsider coming to rule us here,” one protester said. “We should not allow this to happen.”
Mr. Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, one of the leaders of the protest, told journalists that it had circulated within the party that the meeting was intended to ratify the imposition of a chairmanship candidate who had no connection to Ojokoro. He expressed concerns over the consequences of such an imposition.
“Anybody that wants to come out as chairman should be a resident of this local government, must have worked for this party, and must be a participating politician in this council. A person with no ties to the council should not be imposed,” Akinoso-Olawaye said, urging for a level playing field for all aspirants.
Mrs. Bola Ojetayo, another protest leader, echoed similar sentiments, criticizing party leaders for prioritizing their personal interests over the needs of the people. She emphasized that allowing an outsider to lead the council would undermine local autonomy and fairness.
“We should not sell this seat to an outsider,” Ojetayo stated. “Some people cannot sit in Agege or anywhere and dictate who our local government chairman should be.”
In response to the protest, Mr. James Owolabi, a former member of the House of Representatives and one of the organisers of the stakeholders’ meeting, called for calm and urged the protesters to avoid violence.
“Your protest is noted. You have the right to voice your concerns within the party. However, we should approach this in a more mature and peaceful manner. Let’s not resort to violence,” Owolabi urged.
The meeting was attended by several APC leaders, including Jelili Oseni, the party chairman in the council, Ipoola Omisore, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and Amosu Aminu, among others
