Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The internal crisis rocking the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, as the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, threatened to lead a mass protest over the outcome of the party’s recently concluded primaries. Addressing a gathering of market leaders and stakeholders at her office in Alausa, Ikeja, Tinubu-Ojo alleged that the primary results for several key constituencies were manipulated in favour of the party’s Justice Forum bloc, warning that the party risked imploding ahead of the 2027 general elections if the grievances were not addressed.
Tinubu-Ojo specifically faulted the results announced for Mushin Federal Constituency II, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro, insisting that the outcomes did not reflect the will of party members. She claimed that three aspirants – Hon. Seye Oladejo (Mushin), Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo (Agege II), and Olotu Ojo (Ojokoro) – were the rightful winners of their respective primaries. “We are ready to protest because we know they won this election,” she declared. “Their mandates should not be given to somebody else.” She urged the APC leadership at both the state and national levels to conduct an urgent investigation into the disputed primaries before the results are finally ratified, warning that failure to act could deepen internal divisions within the ruling party.
The controversy stems from the APC’s House of Representatives and State House of Assembly primaries held across Lagos last week. The state party chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, had on Monday, May 25, 2026, released a list of 24 candidates for the House of Representatives tickets and 40 candidates for the State Assembly. Those named as winners for the assembly included Mojisola Meranda (Apapa I), Musibau Lawal (Apapa II), Barakat Bakare-Odunuga (Surulere I), and Damilola Ayinde-Marshall (Surulere II). However, Tinubu-Ojo claimed that the process was skewed, alleging that the Justice Forum bloc manipulated the exercise to favour its own members.
In her remarks, Tinubu-Ojo also delivered a blistering critique of the factional structure of the Lagos APC, calling for the disbandment of the influential Justice Forum and Mandate Movement. She argued that the existing factions had divided the party and undermined internal democracy. Her frustration was particularly directed at the growing trend of aspirants from the Mandate Forum defecting to the Justice Forum following the emergence of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the party’s governorship candidate, who is perceived to belong to the Justice Forum. “I can’t understand members of Mandate Group dumping Mandate and joining Justice Forum,” she said. “It is a way of telling us that hard work does not pay in politics. Something must be done about it.”
Despite the tensions, Tinubu-Ojo reaffirmed the support of market women and traders for Hamzat’s governorship ambition, describing them as a vital political constituency in Lagos. However, she demanded greater political inclusion for traders, insisting that they deserved recognition and appointments in return for their loyalty and hard work. “We need to meet with him,” she said, referring to Hamzat. “We need our slots.” She cautioned that traders must not be taken for granted, warning that failure to address their concerns could alienate a crucial voting bloc.
The development has exacerbated the growing rift within the Lagos APC, where the Justice Forum and Mandate Movement have long competed for control over the party structure. While the party had officially moved to discourage factional groupings in 2020, both blocs have remained politically active and continue to shape candidate selection. The latest dispute has fueled fears of a major crack in the party’s unity as it prepares for the 2027 general elections. In Mushin, aggrieved supporters of Seye Oladejo have already threatened mass protests if his alleged mandate is not restored, accusing party leaders of attempting to impose candidates and steal the will of the people.
As of the time of this report, the APC state leadership has not issued an official response to the allegations, and the disputed primaries remain unresolved. However, Tinubu-Ojo made it clear that the market leaders would not back down. “We decided to calm down and see what they will do about it,” she said. “We know they won the election and their mandate should not be given to somebody else. We are ready to protest.”
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News
🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew
📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments