The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled a critical stakeholders’ meeting for Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as part of its final preparations for the upcoming local government primary elections.

The meeting, which will be held at the party’s state secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, is set to commence at 10:00 a.m.

The move comes ahead of the APC primaries, scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025, in all 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) of the state.

The primaries are being conducted in advance of the Lagos State local government elections set for July 12, 2025.

In a joint statement released on Monday, the Chairman of the Lagos APC State Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), and the Committee Secretary, Nurudeen Bamidele, confirmed the meeting details and emphasized its strategic importance.

“The stakeholders’ meeting is essential to ensure alignment among party leaders, aspirants, and grassroots stakeholders. It will also help reinforce the credibility of the primary election process,” the statement read.

The meeting will be attended by key party figures, including:
• Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC)
• All three serving APC senators from Lagos State
• APC members in the House of Representatives
• Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly
• The 57 local government and LCDA APC chairmen
• Chairmanship aspirants cleared by the screening committee
• Outgoing council chairmen
• Apex leaders from all 57 councils
• Members of the State Executive Council of the APC

So far, the party has cleared 432 chairmanship aspirants to contest in the primaries, following a thorough screening process.

According to the screening committee, 38 aspirants were either disqualified or voluntarily withdrew from the race.

Despite the party’s efforts to ensure transparency, internal tensions have emerged, particularly concerning allegations of candidate imposition. In Ojokoro LCDA, a coalition of 15 chairmanship aspirants has pushed back against reports that a consensus candidate has been endorsed, calling the claim misleading and a ploy to manipulate the selection process.

“We want to state categorically that there is no consensus candidate in Ojokoro. Any such claim is deceptive and undermines the democratic process,” a spokesperson for the group said.

The stakeholders’ meeting is expected to provide a platform to address these grievances and reaffirm the party’s commitment to a fair and credible electoral process. Party leaders hope that open dialogue and adherence to internal democratic principles will help avoid divisions and ensure a smooth run-up to the July council elections.

As the APC gears up for its primaries, all eyes remain on Lagos, a key political battleground with implications for both state and national politics.