Hundreds of female members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos State House in Marina on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of the recently conducted primary election in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

The protesters, representing various interest groups within the ruling party, submitted formal petitions to both Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and President Bola Tinubu, expressing their dissatisfaction with the May 10, 2025, primary election that produced Abiodun Ejigbadero as the party's chairmanship candidate for the upcoming July 12 council polls.

In a petition jointly signed by the APC LGA Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Funmilayo Odelabi, and the Woman Leader, Mrs. Mary Ishola, the women alleged that the selection process lacked transparency and fairness. The document, titled "Re: Wrongful selection of Abiodun Ejigbadero or Ishola as the APC candidate for local government election Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA," accused party officials of conducting a secretive exercise at the Lagos APC secretariat.

"The primary exercise that produced Ejigbadero was the most secretive and unusual primary election ever conducted at the State Party Secretariat on 10th May, 2025, where delegates, aspirants, and their agents were barred from observing the election process," the petition stated.

The women also questioned Ejigbadero's affiliation with the APC in Agbado/Oke-Odo, claiming he is not a recognized member of the local chapter. They warned that imposing candidates without due process could damage the party's democratic credentials.

"We request the outright cancellation of the hideous and shameful caricature of elections that is capable of casting serious doubts on the ideals of justice and fairness that you have always stood up for as our leader and mentor," the petition read.

The protesters appealed to the governor to "compel the Primary Elections Committee to announce the true result of the election or conduct a fresh election in the full glare of all relevant stakeholders." They also attached a list of fourteen accredited delegates who participated in the supposed 24-man delegate election process.

Reaffirming their loyalty to President Tinubu, the petitioners expressed hope that his leadership would halt what they described as a deliberate attempt to sideline committed party members.

"Our Asiwaju, we have always believed in you, and we remain your followers. We are not in doubt that you remain the one man who can forestall the ongoing attempt to freeze out a majority of party members from a system we have served with utmost loyalty and for which we have never faltered," the petition added.

This protest comes days after residents of the Oki community in the LCDA held a similar demonstration, also rejecting Ejigbadero's candidacy and urging the party to uphold internal democracy ahead of the local government elections scheduled for July 12, 2025.