Lagos APC Members Protest Over Alleged Change in Eti-Osa Assembly Primary Election Results

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and political support groups in Eti-Osa Constituency I, Lagos State, have asked President Bola Tinubu and the party leaders to step in regarding the dispute over the party’s House of Assembly ticket for the constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This request came after the Lagos APC released a list of successful candidates for the House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly elections. The list named Saheed Bankole as the party’s candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency I.

According to results announced after the primary election held in Ajah, the current lawmaker and Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Noheem Adams, received 7,638 votes. He defeated Saheed Bankole, who got 1,225 votes. The election took place in all the wards of the constituency, with officials declaring Mr Adams the winner.

But the APC’s final list of candidates, released on May 25, showed Mr Bankole as the party’s candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency I.

During a protest at the Second Toll Gate area of Lekki on Thursday, members of the Noheem Adams Support Group, along with party supporters, community leaders, youth, and women groups, urged the party leadership to respect what they called the outcome of the primary election.

Owolabi Yisa spoke on behalf of the group. He said party members in the constituency had clearly shown their choice during the primary. He called on the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, to make sure the result was honored.

The group stated that the vote margin between both candidates showed strong support for Mr Adams. They argued that changing the results could cause divisions in the party before the 2027 elections.

They noted that Mr Adams has backing from party elders, traditional rulers, market leaders, youth groups, and community organizations in the constituency. They credited his popularity to his years of service, constituency projects, youth empowerment programs, and engagement with residents.

“The will of the people was clearly expressed. This was not a narrow victory and it was not a disputed mandate. It was an overwhelming endorsement by party members across Eti-Osa Constituency I,” Mr Yisa said.

The stakeholders warned that ignoring the primary results could hurt party unity and discourage grassroots supporters. They also called directly on President Tinubu to step in and ensure fairness and internal democracy within the party.

In the midst of the controversy, Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi insisted that the published list is the official outcome of the party’s primaries.

Mr Ojelabi said that the state chapter only published the results from a committee appointed by the party’s national leadership and did not change the outcome. The Punch Newspaper reported this.

“The state chapter only published the outcome of the primaries conducted by the committee constituted by the national headquarters,” he said.

The chairman maintained that the candidates’ list released by the party is valid, despite the protests from dissatisfied members.

The protesters, however, called on the APC leadership to reconsider the situation, saying respect for party members' wishes would promote unity within the party.

They reaffirmed their support for the APC and President Tinubu’s administration but stressed that true unity can only come through justice, fairness, and respect for democratic processes.