The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election held across Lagos State on Saturday was marred by allegations of disruption, voter intimidation, and irregularities in parts of Lagos Mainland.
Reports of tension and isolated violence emerged from several areas, including Apapa Road, Makoko, Iwaya, and Adekunle, where party members and delegates were allegedly harassed and prevented from participating freely in the exercise.
A party member, Kayode Olaiya, accused supporters of aspirant Hon. Kazeem Omolaja of disrupting the process by allegedly forcing out delegates believed to be loyal to Hon. Abdulhakeem Animashaun from voting centres in the affected communities.
The incidents reportedly created confusion among party faithful, with aggrieved members accusing some APC leaders of attempting to manipulate the outcome of the primary election in favour of a preferred candidate.
Supporters of Animashaun also alleged that loyalists of the local government chairman, Hon. Emilagba, compromised the integrity of the exercise through acts of electoral malpractice.
They further claimed that official APC membership cards were not utilised during accreditation and voting, raising concerns over the transparency and credibility of the process.
Speaking after the exercise, Olaiya rejected the outcome of the primary election, insisting that the process did not meet acceptable democratic standards.
“We reject whatever outcome emerges from today’s election because the process was flawed and manipulated,” one of the aggrieved members stated.
The protesters called on the APC leadership to investigate the allegations and ensure fairness for all aspirants and party supporters.
Security personnel were reportedly deployed to some of the affected centres to restore calm and prevent further escalation.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership in Lagos Mainland had yet to officially respond to the allegations surrounding the exercise.
The development has further heightened concerns among party members over the credibility of the APC’s internal electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
