Ahead of the upcoming local government elections in Lagos, chairmanship aspirants under the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed strong opposition to any attempt by the party leadership to impose candidates through undemocratic means.
The aspirants, drawn from Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), raised their concerns on Monday. Speaking on behalf of 12 contenders, Segun Sekoni and Mustapha Rasheed stated that leadership imposed without due process undermines democracy and the will of the people.
They urged the APC leadership in the state to resist moves aimed at falsely portraying a consensus endorsement for any particular aspirant, insisting that such claims were misleading and lacked legitimacy.
“We wish to clearly state that no consensus was reached in Ojokoro LCDA. Any claim suggesting otherwise is deceptive and meant to mislead party members and the public,” the group said in a joint statement.
According to them, the list being circulated as evidence of consensus was simply an attendance list from a meeting with the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and not an agreement on any candidate.
“There was no vote, no endorsement, and no collective decision at that meeting. This misinformation is a desperate attempt to gain unfair advantage and undermine internal democracy,” the statement added.
The group called for a transparent and credible primary election process, warning against any form of imposition that could erode public trust in the party.
“No one has the authority to force candidates on the people. Ojokoro is not for sale. Let the people decide,” the aspirants declared.
Growing concerns have been reported across Lagos over the APC’s use of indirect primaries and alleged plans to install favored candidates in various councils.
%20have%20expressed%20strong%20opposition%20to%20any%20attempt%20by%20the%20party%20leadership%20to%20impose%20candidates%20through%20undemocratic%20means.){kind=link}