The leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have denied allegations of candidate imposition leveled against the party’s leadership by dissatisfied aspirants following Saturday’s primaries.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; the lawmaker representing Agege Constituency 02, Alhaji Jubril Kareem; Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dr. Wale Ahmed; Special Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Afolabi Tajudeen; Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Hon. Afolabi Ayantayo; APC Apex Leader, Alhaji Safari Adaranijo; First Executive Chairman of Agege LG, Alhaji Genius Owolabi Dada; Executive Chairman of Agege LG, High Chief Ganiu Kola Egunjobi; and Executive Chairman of Orile-Agege LCDA, Hon. Sunday Johnson Babatunde, the leaders stated that those making the allegations had long abandoned both the party and the communities.
They claimed that the accusers are not active members of the APC and have not been involved in party activities in either council.
Following the conduct and release of the APC primary election results, some aggrieved aspirants and members alleged manipulation and the imposition of unpopular candidates against the general will of the people.
In Agege and Orile-Agege, where Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Idowu Akinola emerged as chairmanship candidates respectively, the areas were not spared from these imposition allegations.
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However, on Tuesday, after a meeting held at the Agege Local Government Secretariat, the party leadership in both councils issued a communiqué refuting the claims.
The leaders reiterated that those challenging the process that led to the emergence of APC candidates for chairmanship and councillorship positions in all 13 wards had long distanced themselves from the party and their communities.
“As far as we are concerned, the primary elections were free and fair. Any suggestion that the candidates were imposed is misleading,” the communiqué stated.
“Those making these false claims are sore losers who, for years, have ostracized themselves from the APC and our communities.
“To put things into context, individuals like the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa; former House of Representatives member, Dr. Samuel Adejare; and three-time House of Assembly member, Oluyinka Ogundimu, have not resided in Agege for years and are not involved in the party’s activities in either council.”
The communiqué further pointed out that, “Biodun Ogunji, a chairmanship aspirant in Agege, lives in the UK with his family and only returned to Nigeria recently to pursue his ambition.
“Similarly, fellow aspirant Bukola Sofidiya (aka Gidado), a US-based politician, and Sola Osolana, a UK-based former PDP chairmanship candidate in the last council elections, are not active in the local APC structure.
“It is common knowledge that the party leadership in the state, in their wisdom, adopted consensus or delegate voting for the primaries, with local government party executives as the voters.
“In Agege and Orile-Agege, the current executive members were constituted about four years ago, when the aforementioned individuals had already distanced themselves from the party and the community.
“In that context, only individuals with limited understanding and unclear political standing would consider themselves contenders, rather than pretenders, in the just-concluded primaries,” the communiqué read.
The APC held its primaries across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in preparation for the local council polls scheduled for July 12.
Others present at the meeting included former LAHASCOM Chairman, Hon. Richard Akin Osungboye; former APC Chairman, Alhaji Ayoni Shittu; APC Agege LG Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Azeez; APC Orile-Agege LG Chairman, Hon. Salau Olaniyi; former Council Chairman and former House of Assembly member, Hon. Rotimi Adeshina; APC Leader, Elder Sunday Ajide; and former House of Assembly member, Hon. Ashimiu Adebayo.
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