As the July 12 local government elections approach in Lagos State, internal tensions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have intensified, with accusations of candidate imposition threatening to fracture the party’s base across several Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Despite efforts by the party to manage pre-election friction through the adoption of a consensus candidacy approach, several aspirants and local stakeholders allege that the method is being exploited to sideline credible contenders in favour of handpicked loyalists.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission had, in April, published the official timetable for elections across the 57 council chairmanship seats and 376 councillorship positions.

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The polls are to take place as the current local council officials round off their tenure in July. But instead of uniting the APC, the pre-election activities have deepened divisions.

Tensions in Ojokoro and Yaba

In Ojokoro LCDA, controversy erupted when a faction of party leaders under the Ojokoro Apex Council announced Mobolaji Sanusi as the consensus chairmanship candidate.

The group, backed by prominent figures including former House of Representatives members Ipoola Omisore and Adisa Owolabi, submitted a signed resolution to the state APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.

Among the signatories was the incumbent LCDA chairman, Idowu Tijani.

But not all party members accepted the outcome. Within days, another screening conducted by a separate bloc of leaders produced Rosiji Yemisi as a rival candidate.

A party member involved in the process, who spoke anonymously, rejected Sanusi’s candidacy, alleging it was part of an orchestrated imposition.

According to him, “The apex council is attempting to impose a ‘foreigner backed by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa’ on us. Imposing an outsider with no electoral history in Ojokoro would have negative consequences.”

Yaba LCDA is also grappling with similar unrest. A coalition of landlords, electorates, and political stakeholders accused party leaders of manipulating the consensus process in favour of Babatunde Ojo, who reportedly placed 11th in a screening exercise.

William Babatunde, who topped the exercise with 85 percent, was allegedly sidelined.

In a petition to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the coalition led by Amoo Ismail voiced its frustration:

“It is important to emphasise that we have credible leaders within our community who are capable of selecting the most qualified candidate from the broad pool of aspirants.

“It is simply unjust and disheartening to the political stakeholders in the local government that a single individual continues to unilaterally impose a chairmanship candidate upon us.”

They called on both the First Lady and President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

“A more inclusive and consultative approach, one that values the voices of grassroots mobilisers and other key stakeholders, will likely yield a more favourable outcome for both the local government and our great party.”

Backlash and Warnings from Within

The controversy has not gone unnoticed by key figures within the APC. Opeyemi Ahmed, media aide to the outgoing chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Dele Osinowo, publicly criticized the consensus approach in a now-deleted Facebook post.

“The party is not sincere with its guidelines; from direct to indirect to consensus. We can do better. Let’s give a sense of belonging to everyone. Tinubu needs to win Lagos, but if a few are writing names at the top and using fake strategy to call for consensus at the bottom, then Tinubu should be ready to lose come 2027.”

Echoing this sentiment, APC chieftain Fouad Oki delivered a strongly worded open letter titled “Lagos APC’s crisis of Democracy: Internal strife and the risk to President Tinubu’s stronghold.”

“The Lagos APC must choose democracy over cliques. If party managers still believe they know better than voters, permit me to remind you of the stakes: disenfranchised grassroots can sabotage not only council polls, but also general elections to come. Unity forged under injustice is brittle; lasting strength requires inclusivity.”

He warned the party not to repeat past mistakes.

“Let this op-ed be a rallying cry within the party: abandon the politics of imposition, honour the rights of members, and give Lagosians a real voice. Failing that, our party risks losing Lagos not to an opposition challenger, but to its own internal discord – a disaster that would echo all the way to 2027.”

Party Responds: No Cause for Alarm

In response to the growing unrest, the Lagos APC has defended its approach. Party spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, dismissed allegations of imposition, stating that the process of selecting candidates was still ongoing and inclusive.

“We have not concluded the process of the primaries, which will be held on Saturday. For those who have been able to reach consensus, there will be affirmation, but for those who have not reached consensus, their delegates will decide who their preferred candidates will be in their respective local governments.”

He added that claims of imposition were premature.

“Nobody is imposing anything on anybody; we cherish internal democracy in our party, and we have always strived on all of this.”

Oladejo further argued that consensus has historically helped the APC avoid post-primary crises.

“As a party, we see ourselves as members of the same family. Consensus has always been easier to manage, whatever fallout might arise from the process of electing candidates for elections. So, consensus, over time, has worked for us and is recognised by our constitution.”

“We have an internal mechanism for resolving conflicts or disagreements, and that machinery will be ignited to resolve whatever grey areas arise as a fallout of the primaries,” he said.

With the APC primaries scheduled for today and allegations of manipulation still simmering, all eyes are on the party’s leadership to see how it will navigate the storm.

While consensus remains a valid tool within the party’s constitution, the challenge now lies in ensuring that it does not come at the cost of credibility and inclusiveness—two elements many say are key to securing both the upcoming council elections and President Tinubu’s longer-term political prospects.