Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege and Orile-Agege chapters have strongly denied allegations of candidate imposition in the recently concluded party primaries ahead of the Lagos council elections scheduled for July 12, 2025.

The party primaries, which took place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at the APC state secretariat, selected chairmanship and councillorship candidates for all 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas through delegate voting and consensus arrangements.

Following the announcement of results by the Election Committee chaired by Babatunde Ogala, controversy erupted with complaints of alleged impositions and claims that the election processes were manipulated to favor certain aspirants.

In Agege and Orile-Agege, where Alhaji Tunde Azeez and Idowu Akinola emerged as the ruling party's chairmanship candidates respectively, accusations of imposition have been particularly vocal.

On Tuesday, the leadership of the party in both councils held a meeting at the Agege Local Government Secretariat and subsequently issued a communique refuting these claims.

"Those faulting the process that led to the emergence of APC candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship in all the 13 wards abandoned the party and the communities long ago," the communique stated.

"As far as we are concerned, the primary elections were free and fair; and suggestion by some elements that the candidates that emerged were imposed on them is misleading."

The communique was signed by prominent APC leaders including the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashir Obasa; Member of House of Representatives, Dr. Wale Ahmed; Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo; and several other party officials and former officeholders.

The party leaders described those making the allegations as "sore losers" who have "ostracised themselves from APC and our communities" for years.

They specifically mentioned several prominent figures including Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation; former House of Representatives member, Dr. Samuel Adejare; and three-time House of Assembly member, Oluyinka Ogundimu, claiming these individuals "have moved out of Agege for years in terms of residence and are not involved in the activities of the party in both councils."

The communique also named several failed aspirants, including Biodun Ogunji, described as a UK resident who recently returned to Nigeria for his political aspiration; Bukola Sofidiya (aka Gidado), described as a US-based politician; and Sola Osolana, who reportedly ran as the Peoples Democratic Party chairmanship candidate in the previous council election.

The controversy adds to the growing tension surrounding the APC primaries across Lagos State, with reports indicating that over 100 petitions have been filed contesting various aspects of the primary election process.

The Lagos local government elections are scheduled to take place on July 12, 2025, with the APC hoping to maintain its dominant position in the state's grassroots politics despite these internal challenges.