A stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, descended into chaos on Monday following allegations of a candidate being imposed for the forthcoming local government election.
As reported by Vanguard, the gathering, held at 7 Ijaoye Street, started calmly at around 4 p.m., but tensions flared when a group of aggrieved party members arrived, chanting slogans and accusing party leaders of sidelining local aspirants.
Chants such as “Ole!” (thief), “We won’t accept this!” and “Obasa can’t decide for us from Agege” filled the air, as protesters voiced their anger over claims that Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was attempting to install a chairmanship candidate with no roots in Ojokoro.
One of the protesters, Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, expressed concern that the meeting was convened to endorse a candidate unfamiliar with the council’s political landscape. He emphasized that only individuals who reside in Ojokoro and have contributed meaningfully to the party should be considered.
“This is about fairness. All aspirants should be given equal opportunity to prove themselves, not pushed aside for someone imposed from outside,” Akinoso-Olawaye said, adding that 18 aspirants from the area were already in the race.
Another protester, Mrs. Bola Ojetayo, criticized the party leadership for prioritizing internal arrangements over grassroots input. “We will not let an outsider lead us. Ojokoro deserves a chairman who knows the people and understands the area,” she said.
She also stressed that decisions affecting Ojokoro should not be made by leaders based in other constituencies. “Nobody from Agege should dictate who becomes our chairman,” Ojetayo added.
Reacting to the protest, former House of Representatives member and prominent APC figure in the area, James Owolabi, urged calm and encouraged party members to air their grievances peacefully.
“You have a right to be heard. Please let’s keep it peaceful and avoid violence,” he appealed.
Other notable APC leaders present at the disrupted meeting included the incumbent council chairman, Jelili Oseni, former lawmaker Ipoola Omisore, Alhaji Amosu Aminu, Chief Oriyomi Olaogun, and Akindele Aremu.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has fixed the local government elections for July 12.
%20in%20Ojokoro%20Local%20Council%20Development%20Area%20(LCDA),%20Lagos%20State,%20descended%20into%20chaos%20on%20Monday%20following%20allegations%20of%20a%20candidate%20being%20imposed%20for%20the%20forthcoming%20local%20government%20election.){kind=link}