Agege APC Leaders Debunk Allegations of Candidate Imposition

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege and Orile-Agege have firmly dismissed allegations of imposition of chairmanship and councillorship candidates during the local government primary elections held on Saturday, May 10, at the party secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja.

According to the party, substantive candidates across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State emerged either through delegate voting or consensus arrangements ahead of the July 12 local government elections.

While some discontent followed the primaries in areas like Agege and Orile-Agege—where Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Idowu Akinola emerged as chairmanship candidates—APC leaders in both councils have described such claims of imposition as unfounded and misleading.

Rising from a strategic meeting at the Agege Local Government Secretariat on Tuesday, APC stakeholders issued a joint communiqué affirming the legitimacy of the candidates and reaffirming the credibility of the primary process.

The communiqué was endorsed by prominent party figures including:

• Alhaji Jubril Kareem, member representing Agege Constituency 02 in the Lagos State House of Assembly
• Hon. Dr. Wale Ahmed, House of Representatives member
• Hon. Afolabi Tajudeen, Special Adviser to the Governor on Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement
• Hon. Afolabi Ayantayo, Commissioner for Establishment and Training
• Alhaji Safari Adaranijo, APC Apex Leader
• Alhaji Genius Owolabi Dada, first Executive Chairman of Agege LG
• High Chief Ganiu Kola Egunjobi, Executive Chairman, Agege LG
• Hon. Sunday Johnson Babatunde, Executive Chairman, Orile-Agege LCDA
• Hon. Richard Akin Osungboye, former Chairman, LAHASCOM
• Alhaji Ayoni Shittu, former Party Chairman
• Alhaji Tunde Azeez, APC Agege LG Chairman
• Hon. Salau Olaniyi, APC Orile-Agege LG Chairman
• Hon. Rotimi Adeshina, former Council Chairman and ex-Member, Lagos State House of Assembly
• Elder Sunday Ajide, Party Leader
• Hon. Ashimiu Adebayo, former House of Assembly member

In the communiqué, the leaders stated:
“The primary elections were free, fair, and transparent. Claims of candidate imposition are the handiwork of sore losers who have, for years, distanced themselves from the APC and our communities. These allegations are not only false but intended to sow discord.”

They further noted that many of those crying foul had long disengaged from the party’s local affairs:
“To contextualize, individuals such as the MD of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa; former House of Representatives member, Dr. Samuel Adejare; and three-time House of Assembly member, Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu, have ceased residing in Agege and are no longer active in local party matters.”

The statement also addressed the residency and commitment of some aspirants:
“Biodun Ogunji, a chairmanship aspirant, resides in the UK with his family and only recently returned to Nigeria to pursue his ambition. Similarly, Bukola Sofidiya (aka Gidado), a US-based politician, and Sola Osolana, who is based in the UK and previously contested under the PDP, have little grassroots involvement. Their absence from community life and party activities undermines their legitimacy as contenders.”

On the mode of primaries, the leaders explained:
“The party leadership in Lagos State, in its wisdom, adopted consensus and delegate voting, with local government executive members serving as accredited voters. These executives were constituted four years ago, at a time when the aforementioned individuals had already distanced themselves from the party’s local structure.”

Concluding, the leaders remarked:
“In truth, only individuals with limited understanding of party politics and organizational integrity would consider themselves serious contenders in this context. The APC remains committed to fairness, internal democracy, and the development of Agege and Orile-Agege.”