By Akonasu Gbedozin The Chairman of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has assured party members of...
By Akonasu Gbedozin
The Chairman of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has assured party members of a level playing field for all aspirants vying to become the party’s candidates in the upcoming local government elections. Speaking on the importance of party unity and supremacy, he emphasized that the APC's core principles will guide its decisions ahead of the 2025 polls.
Pastor Ojelabi made this statement in Badagry during a victory celebration organized by the Independence Campaign Council (ICC), led by the Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs and former four-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode. The event, which was initially intended to recognize the contributions of ICC members to the APC's success in the 2023 general elections, has been interpreted by political analysts as a strategic recalibration of the council in preparation for the forthcoming local government election. This comes in the wake of a ban on the party’s two major factions, the Justice Forum and the Mandate Movement, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing party members, Pastor Ojelabi urged unity and fairness in the selection process. He revealed that a stakeholders' meeting would soon be convened to address all matters related to the local government elections. “Since the inception of our party in 1999, no candidate has been awarded the party's ticket based on factional affiliation. All candidates who have emerged victorious in our primaries did so as bona fide APC members. I assure you that we will provide a fair and level playing field for all aspirants. Anyone who wins in our primary election will receive the party’s ticket to contest,” Ojelabi stated.
He also reiterated the ban on factional politics within the Lagos APC, urging members to focus on the collective success of the party. “Let us unite as APC members and uphold the principles that have kept this party strong since its founding,” he added.
Meanwhile, uncertainty lingers over the scope of the 2025 local government elections. While Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has insisted that only the 20 constitutionally recognized local governments in Lagos State will participate, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and APC Chairman Ojelabi maintain that the elections will also include the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). This discrepancy has raised questions about the final structure of the elections.
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Hon. Layode’s move to rejuvenate the ICC has further fueled speculation about his political ambitions and the shifting dynamics within the APC. With the local government elections drawing closer, Lagos State’s political landscape remains a focal point for observers, as alliances and strategies are expected to shape the outcome of the 2025 polls.
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