Several aspirants from the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are scheduled to hold a major protest today (Tuesday) at the party’s secretariat on ACME Road in Ikeja, as well as in the Somolu area of the state.

The protest coincides with the deadline set by the party’s Appeal Committee for aggrieved chairmanship aspirants to submit their petitions.

The Appeal Committee—chaired by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN)—was formed in response to widespread discontent following the APC's local government primaries, which sparked protests both online and offline.

The primaries, held on Saturday at the party’s headquarters in Ikeja, were organized to select candidates for chairmanship positions in the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas ahead of the July 12 local government elections.

Despite the conduct of the primaries, internal disagreements have continued, particularly over the use of the consensus method for selecting candidates, which some party members have strongly opposed.

In particular, the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area and Yaba Local Council Development Area were unable to produce candidates during the primaries. Protesters from these areas took to the streets in Ebute Meta on the day of the exercise to express their dissatisfaction with the imposition of consensus candidates.

Nonetheless, the primaries resulted in the emergence of 55 candidates through a mix of consensus arrangements and delegate voting.

However, demonstrations have persisted in certain local councils, with discontented APC members openly criticizing the entire primary election process. 

Following the uproar, the APC spokesperson, Oluseye Oladejo, issued a statement on Monday, declaring that the party had “inaugurated an Appeal Committee to address the complaints of dissatisfied aspirants who participated in the primaries.”

Oladejo stated, “The committee is made up of Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, who is also the Attorney-General and Honorable Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, and Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi as Secretary. Other members include Rt. Hon. Jokotola Pelumi, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly; former House member and state secretary of the party, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi; and Chief Chukwudi Adiukwu.”

He added, “We, hereby, advise discontented aspirants to submit their appeals to the committee not later than 12 pm on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.”

A source within the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH on Monday that plans were already underway for a large protest by aggrieved aspirants from the affected councils.

“They will be protesting at the APC secretariat tomorrow (today) again, but with a larger crowd this time,” the source, close to the organisers, confirmed.

Some party leaders and stakeholders in Yaba LCDA have also accused the party of imposing a chairmanship candidate ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

Earlier on Monday, APC members from Bariga and Somolu, under the banner of Concerned Stakeholders, expressed their displeasure over how the primaries were conducted. They called for the cancellation of the exercise and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

In their statement, the protesting members claimed that the primaries were “skewed to achieve a pre-determined outcome.”

The statement, signed by Aisha Lawal and David Balogun on behalf of others, read in part, “We demand that the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Working Committee, and the Lagos State APC leadership immediately investigate this travesty and cancel the compromised elections in Somolu Local Government and Bariga LCDA.”

Another APC member, who spoke to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the aspirants would protest “to let Tinubu and others know that no consensus candidates have emerged in Lagos Mainland LGA and Yaba LCDA.”

The source further explained in a chat, “Some leaders just select and decide who will be the candidates. No election was conducted, and the other aspirants were never invited for any meeting. They are completely sidelined while the ‘baba sopes’ make the decision.”

“They asked other aspirants to withdraw, but they refused. They are insisting on an indirect election, as done in other areas where there was no consensus,” the source added.