An aspirant for the Agege Constituency I seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi, has rejected the outcome of the primary election, alleging that he was denied victory despite emerging as the winner at the polls. Egunjobi, who spoke with journalists yesterday, accused the Lagos State leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of subverting the will of party members by announcing Gbenga Michael Abiola as the APC candidate for the constituency.
Allegations of Manipulation
Egunjobi claimed that results collated from voting centres, as well as records available to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, showed that he won the primary election and was declared the winner by electoral officials at the venue. According to him, figures from the exercise indicated that he secured 9,132 votes, while Oladipo Tunde Shola and Gbenga Michael Abiola polled 560 and 434 votes, respectively. Egunjobi expressed surprise that Abiola, whom he described as having finished third in the contest, was eventually announced as the party’s candidate.
Party Members Demand Review
Also, some members of the APC in Bariga have urged a review of the outcome of the party’s primary election for Somolu Constituency II, warning that disputes arising from candidate selection could weaken grassroots participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. The members, operating under the banner of Restore Apata Mandate, alleged that the outcome of the May 20 primary did not reflect the votes cast by party members in the constituency. They therefore called on the party leadership to review the process and uphold what they described as the choice of the majority of members.
The group’s Convener, Segun Adesanya, said that supporters of the incumbent lawmaker representing Somolu Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Samuel Olufemi Apata, were dissatisfied with moves to recognise another aspirant, despite the outcome of the primary election. Also, a former councillor and Public Relations Officer of the Forum of Past Councillors in the area, Olasupo Abiodun Kazeem, also urged party leaders to prioritise transparency in resolving the dispute.
These developments highlight ongoing tensions within the APC in Lagos State as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections. The aspirants and their supporters are calling for a fair and transparent process to ensure that the will of party members is respected.
