A coalition of aspirants in the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries has denounced what it described as a malicious and distracting attempt to link the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr. Mudashiru Obasa, to the peaceful protests staged last week over the party’s primaries.
In a
strongly worded statement signed by prominent party figures and released to the
press on Wednesday, June 10, the group insisted that the demonstration was a
spontaneous expression of dissatisfaction by aspirants and their supporters
across Lagos State.
The
statement was signed by, among others, Seye Oladejo (Mushin), Kolawole Taiwo
(Ajeromi-Ifelodun), Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa), Stephen Ogundipe (Oshodi), Apata
Samuel (Somolu), David Doherty (Amuwo-Odofin), Ganiyu Egunjobi (Agege) and
Ganiyu Ayuba (Alimosho).
The
aspirants stressed that the protest was driven by genuine grievances and not by
any sponsorship.
“To
suggest that thousands of committed APC members and supporters required
sponsorship before voicing their frustrations is insulting to their
intelligence and dismissive of their legitimate concerns,” the statement
declared.
According
to the group, the protesters raised issues of alleged manipulation, distortion
of results, cheating, and disregard for party guidelines during the primaries.
These concerns, they argued, are neither isolated nor imaginary but reflect the
frustrations of party faithful who invested time, resources, and political
capital in the democratic process.
The
signatories accused unnamed individuals of attempting to scapegoat Speaker
Obasa in order to trivialise the complaints and divert attention from the need
for justice, reconciliation and unity within the APC.
“Rather
than addressing the issues at the heart of the protest, some individuals have
chosen the convenient path of scapegoating. Such futile attempts are clearly
designed to shift public attention away from the need for fairness and party
cohesion,” they noted.
Looking
ahead to the 2027 general elections, the aspirants urged party leaders to
focus on resolving the outstanding issues from the primaries. They emphasised
that the APC’s strength lies in its ability to accommodate differing opinions,
correct internal shortcomings, and emerge stronger through dialogue and
fairness.
“The
concerns of aggrieved aspirants and their supporters deserve attention, not
diversion. Addressing these grievances sincerely and urgently will strengthen
confidence in the party’s internal democratic processes and enable us to
approach the forthcoming elections with a united and formidable front,” the
statement concluded.
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