Tensions flared in Lagos on Monday as scores of All Progressives Congress (APC) members staged a protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly, calling for the immediate removal of the party’s state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
The demonstrators, who identified themselves as grassroots representatives from all 57 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state, marched to the Assembly complex bearing placards with bold messages such as “Ojelabi Must Go”and “We Want Fresh Leadership.”
According to the protesters, the APC in Lagos has lost touch with its base under Ojelabi’s leadership, with many alleging that internal democracy has been sidelined and party structures weakened across several local governments.
“We are here to demand accountability and a return to true party values,” one protester, who gave his name as Tunde Afolayan from Mushin LCDA, told our correspondent.
“The chairman has failed to carry party members along. We need a leader who will listen to us and strengthen the APC ahead of 2027.”
The protest, which began in the early hours of the day, drew a heavy security presence.
Armed police officers were seen stationed around the Assembly premises to prevent any breach of public peace.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving banners, the demonstrators insisted they would not back down until the party’s national leadership intervenes in what they described as a looming leadership crisis in Lagos APC.
Another protester, Mrs. Bisi Olabode from Eti-Osa East LCDA, said the state party leadership had become disconnected from the reality on the ground.
“Grassroots politics is the soul of Lagos APC. If you remove that, you have nothing left. We need someone who can unify the party and reconnect with the people,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Pastor Ojelabi nor the Lagos APC secretariat had issued an official statement in response to the protest.The Lagos State House of Assembly was also yet to comment on the matter, although sources within the complex said the lawmakers were closely monitoring the situation.
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