Ahead of the July 12 local government elections in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its preference for adopting a consensus approach in selecting chairmanship and councillorship candidates across the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The decision, according to party leaders, aims to maintain internal unity, ensure a rancour-free primary exercise, and position the APC to win all elective seats. With over 400 aspirants vying for 57 chairmanship positions and multiple councillorship seats, party leaders emphasized that consensus was the most pragmatic solution.
The announcement was made during a strategic stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, attended by Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hazmat, Speaker of the State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, Senator Oluranti Adebule (Lagos West), and other senior party figures.
Deputy Governor Hazmat urged aspirants to embrace the consensus tradition of the APC. “Let us do it the way we have been doing it before now. It ensures unity within the party. We should not deviate from this ideology,” he said.
Also speaking, Tajudeen Olusi, Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), highlighted the challenges posed by the high number of aspirants. “Five persons cannot occupy a single seat. In some wards, there are 12 aspirants for one councillorship seat. We must concede and support the party’s decisions,” he said.
Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala, stressed the importance of a smooth process, noting the national significance of Lagos politics. “Our presidency is at stake. Lagos is a key sector nationally. Other states are watching. We must be thorough and fair,” he said.
Ogala confirmed that the committee had followed party guidelines strictly and had conducted transparent screenings. He said the final list of successful and unsuccessful aspirants would be released by Thursday.
While indirect primaries are officially prescribed, Ogala emphasized that consensus remains a valid democratic method. He urged local government leaders to reach agreements, allowing the committee to conduct affirmation instead of contested primaries.
Chairmanship primaries will hold at the state party secretariat due to logistics, while councillorship primaries will take place across various wards on Saturday. Ogala stated that only aspirants and their accredited agents will be allowed at the election venues and warned against violating party guidelines.
APC State Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi appealed to members to prioritize party unity over personal ambition. “This is our party. Let us put its interests above all else to make President Bola Tinubu proud of our efforts in Lagos,” he concluded.
