Following competitive primaries, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has selected 55 chairmanship candidates for the upcoming July 12 local government elections. Of these, four candidates from Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) were chosen through consensus agreements within their respective councils.
The primaries, which lasted around five hours, were conducted under tight security coordinated by Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh. Among the chosen candidates are Usman Hamzat, brother of Deputy Governor Dr. Femi Hamzat, and Moyosore Ogunlewe, son of former Minister of Works, Senator Segun Ogunlewe. Both new and returning candidates made the final list.
The selection process took place at the APC Secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja, and saw significant participation. Delegates, agents, and aspirants began arriving as early as 7 a.m., with accreditation starting at 10 a.m. and voting commencing at 12:10 p.m., under the supervision of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) officials. Before voting began, Deputy Governor Hamzat addressed the delegates, calling for a peaceful and cooperative election process.
Babatunde Ogala, Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, later announced the consensus candidates for the LCDAs, which included Isa Abiola Jubril for Iba, Azeez Kareem for Oto Awori, Tunrayo Gbadebo for Ijede, and Rasak Kasali for Lekki.
The electoral committee had initially cleared 432 chairmanship aspirants from the 470 who submitted nomination forms across 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs. However, delegates from two LCDAs—Lagos Mainland and Yaba—abstained due to internal disputes within the party. In Yaba LCDA, a youth group named Concerned Youth of Yaba rejected the alleged nomination of Joseph Ojo, which further fueled the crisis.
After approximately five hours of voting, Babatunde Ogala, who led the process, began announcing results around 5:15 p.m., following the sorting and counting of valid votes.
Some of the declared winners include Usman Hamzat (Ifako/Ijaiye LCDA), Hameed Olalekan Aroyewun (Igbogbo Baiyeku LCDA),
Oluyemisi Rosiji (Ojokoro LCDA),
Moyo Ogunlewe (Kosofe LCDA),
Olufemi Okeowo (Ifelodun LCDA),
and many others representing various councils across the state.
Sonia Orjiako