Lagos LG Election: No Refund, No Automatic Appointment – Ojelabi Warns APC Aspirants

By Dansu Peter  The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has issued a stern warning to...

By Dansu Peter 

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has issued a stern warning to all aspirants vying for positions in the forthcoming local government elections: there will be no refunds of nomination fees, and no aspirant should expect automatic appointments simply because they purchased forms.

Ojelabi delivered this message during a strategic meeting with the 57 local government APC chairmen at the party’s state secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja. He emphasized that appointments into local government councils after the election would be strictly based on merit, loyalty, and contributions to the party’s success—not on financial commitments or expectations of compensation.

"Tell them clearly: there will be no refund of nomination fees or any other fees paid during the process," Ojelabi said. "Also, no one should expect automatic appointments into local government positions simply because they bought the forms. The party will only consider individuals who conduct themselves peacefully and are seen actively working for the party’s victory."

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The party chairman further disclosed that the local government party chairmen would be actively involved in the appointment process. “Only those you [LG chairmen] can vouch for—those who truly worked for the party—will be considered for appointments,” he said.

Ojelabi’s remarks come just days after the APC released its guidelines for the primary elections. Under the new rules, chairmanship aspirants are required to pay a nomination fee of N5 million, while councillorship aspirants will pay N1 million. In addition, an administrative charge of N500,000 is applicable to all categories.

To promote inclusivity and broader participation, particularly among marginalized groups, the party has announced a 50% discount on nomination fees for youths and female aspirants. This brings the cost down to N2.5 million for chairmanship aspirants and N500,000 for councillorship positions—excluding the administrative charge.

All aspirants are mandated to present stamped evidence of payment before they can collect their nomination forms.

The elections will take place across all 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State. With this announcement, political activities are expected to intensify in the coming weeks as both seasoned politicians and new entrants gear up for the race.