The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election held in Lagos Mainland on Saturday was thrown into controversy following allegations of widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and disruption of the electoral process across several voting centres.
The disruption was reported in areas including Apapa Road, Makoko, Iwaya, and Adekunle, where party members and delegates were allegedly intimidated and prevented from participating freely in the exercise.
According to eyewitnesses and party members, supporters of Kazeem Omolaja allegedly disrupted the exercise by forcing out participants and delegates believed to be loyal to Hon. Abdulhakeem Animashaun from the voting centres in the affected areas.
The development reportedly created tension and confusion, as aggrieved members accused some party leaders of attempting to manipulate the process in favour of a preferred candidate.
Supporters of Hon. Abdulhakeem Animashaun also alleged that loyalists of the local government chairman, Hon. Emilagba, compromised the credibility of the exercise through various forms of electoral malpractice.
The aggrieved members claimed that official APC membership voter cards were not used during the accreditation and voting process, raising concerns over the transparency and credibility of the election.
Speaking after the exercise, some loyalists of Animashaun rejected the outcome of the primary election, insisting that the process failed to meet acceptable democratic standards.
“We reject whatever outcome emerges from today’s election because the process was flawed and manipulated,” one of the supporters stated during the protest.
Party members further called on the leadership of the APC to investigate the allegations and ensure justice for all aspirants and their supporters.
Security personnel were reportedly deployed to some of the affected centres to maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating further.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership in Lagos Mainland had yet to issue an official statement regarding the allegations and the disruption that marred the exercise.
The incident has, however, sparked concerns among party faithful over the credibility of the party’s internal electoral process ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
