On Tuesday, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State staged a protest against what they claim is the imposition of candidates for the upcoming local government elections set for July 12.
This protest follows a similar demonstration during an APC stakeholders’ meeting on April 14, which was disrupted by tensions over the issue.
During Tuesday’s protest, supporters of several chairmanship hopefuls gathered at the APC secretariat and marched to the council office to voice their opposition. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the selection of candidates they believe were imposed from outside the community.
The protesters chanted slogans such as “No room for outsiders in Ojokoro,” “Our leaders should build, not destroy,” and “We want a local leader, not an outsider.” Placards carried by the protesters included messages like, “We reject this, outsiders cannot lead us,” and “Save APC Ojokoro, no imposition.”
Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, one of the leaders of the protest, told reporters that the party’s leaders should not endorse any candidate without a fair selection process. He said, “We oppose imposition. All aspirants should be allowed to compete freely in the primaries. We believe in peace, but we won’t allow unfair practices.”
Raimot Bello, another protest leader, explained that their goal was to prevent the emergence of an unfamiliar figure as the next council chairman, which they believe would harm the party’s prospects.
Ojokoro LCDA Chairman, Hammed Tijani, addressed the protesters, praising their peaceful demonstration and assuring them that no candidate would be imposed. “We are all members of the APC, and we will not let the party be destroyed. Rest assured, there will be no imposition; we are still working on the process,” he said.
Jelili Oseni, the APC chairman for Ojokoro LCDA, also spoke, reassuring the protesters that there would be no violence within the party. “Those who have worked hard for the party will be rewarded,” he said. “Imposition is not part of the plan.”
The protest took place while party leaders and stakeholders were gathered at the council secretariat for a meeting.
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