A storm is brewing in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) protest what they describe as an orchestrated imposition of candidates ahead of the party’s upcoming local government primaries.
At the heart of the unrest is the disqualification of Ganiu Obasa, a popular aspirant and son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. His sudden exclusion from the chairmanship race has drawn sharp criticism from party stakeholders, who allege that the move was politically motivated and timed to favor select interests.
Sources within the APC claim that shortly after Ganiu’s disqualification, the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Ganiu Egunjobi, hastily procured an expression of interest form for Alhaji Azeez Tunde Disco — a development many see as a backdoor move to impose a candidate on the party.
Disco, 67, currently serves as the APC chairman in Agege but was not previously considered a contender in the race. His abrupt entry into the contest has raised suspicion and drawn accusations of political manipulation.
“This is not democracy. This is imposition at its highest level,” a disgruntled party chieftain said anonymously. “How can someone who never declared interest suddenly become the party’s preferred candidate?”
Party insiders allege that Disco’s candidacy is the result of financial and political coercion, warning that the maneuver could have far-reaching consequences for the APC’s credibility at the grassroots level.
The crisis has left many APC members and aspirants fuming, with fears that the ongoing discord could fracture the party’s structure in Agege. Calls are growing for urgent intervention from national party leaders, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“President Tinubu is the architect of this party’s legacy,” one elder statesman remarked. “He must not allow the imposition and abuse of internal processes to undo the years of sacrifice and democratic gains.”
With the APC primaries drawing near, the unfolding drama in Agege signals deeper questions about the strength of internal democracy within Nigeria’s ruling party — and whether grassroots voices still matter in the corridors of local power.
