APC Clears 432 Chairmanship Aspirants for Lagos LG Polls

LAGOS — The All Progressives Congress in Lagos State has approved 432 chairmanship aspirants to participate in the party’s local government primary elections. The clearance was announced by the Lagos APC leadership ahead of the local government election season in the state.

Lagos State holds local government elections on a schedule different from the national cycle. The state is preparing for its next round of LG polls, and parties must complete their internal candidate selection processes before the official election period begins.

Lagos APC Chairman Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi confirmed the clearances. He said all 432 aspirants met the basic eligibility requirements including party membership, citizenship verification, and payment of nomination fees. He urged aspirants to conduct their campaigns within the party’s guidelines.

The sheer number of cleared aspirants reflects the competitive nature of Lagos local government politics. Each of Lagos’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development authorities attracts multiple aspirants for the chairmanship position. Local government chairmanship is seen as a critical entry point into Lagos’s political power structure.

Local Government as Political Foundation

In Lagos State, local government chairmanship is not merely administrative. It is a key stepping stone in the political career of most Lagos politicians. Many state assembly members, federal lawmakers, and even governorship candidates began their political careers as LG chairmen or councillors.

The APC has dominated Lagos local government politics for over two decades. The party’s grip on LG structures is part of what gives it such powerful control over state politics. A strong LG machine provides ward-level organisation, voter mobilisation, and community intelligence that is invaluable during state and national elections.

Furthermore, with 2027 national elections approaching, APC’s LG primaries in Lagos carry additional strategic weight. The candidates who emerge from these primaries will be expected to deliver votes and mobilise support for Tinubu’s presidential campaign in the state. Their selection is therefore as much a political calculation as a local governance decision.

Civil Society Calls for Transparency

Civil society organisations in Lagos have called on the APC to conduct transparent and credible LG primaries. They noted that the party’s national-level primaries produced controversy in several constituencies, including in Lagos’s own Agege area where aspirants accused Speaker Obasa of rigging.

The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Lagos said it will deploy observers to monitor the LG primaries. The group said it wants to see genuine delegate voting rather than the imposition of candidates by political godfathers. It said any evidence of manipulation will be reported to INEC and relevant law enforcement agencies.

Lagos residents said they want LG chairs who will focus on practical issues like road maintenance, waste management, markets, and community security. Many said they are tired of local government officials who are more interested in politics than in delivering basic services to their communities.