Some members of the Governance Advisory Council of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress were on Monday divided over the call for the sacking of the party’s chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
The GAC is the highest decision-making organ of the APC in Lagos State.
The development followed a protest by some aggrieved party members who stormed the state House of Assembly to call for the sacking of Ojelabi and other party chieftains over what they described as “imposition of candidates” and “anti-grassroots leadership.”
The party chairman, however, faulted the call, describing the accusations as baseless.
The protesters from different local councils in the state held placards with inscriptions such as “Ojelabi Must Go,” “Faleke is a Betrayal,” and “Ojelabi, Mr Voter’s Apathy.”
They called for inclusion, fairness, and an end to what they described as top-down manipulation of local politics.
One of the protest leaders, Ogumba Adetunbosun from Ikorodu, said the protest was borne out of deep dissatisfaction with the way local government elections were conducted and how supervisory positions were being imposed without input from the grassroots.
“We’re concerned politicians from all 57 local councils. What brought us here is the injustice we witnessed in the just-concluded local government elections.
“Chairmen and vice-chairmen have emerged, but when it came to appointing supervisors and secretaries to local governments, we were sidelined. There was no consultation, no dialogue, and that’s not democracy,” Adetunbosun said.
Another protester, Mrs Bola Balogun from Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, accused top APC leaders of stifling local democracy.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu said we shouldn’t appoint supervisors for (two) months. Why? They want to impose on us.
“We voted for Mr Governor and President Tinubu, not for them to impose appointees on us. Ojelabi and Fanleke are choking the Lagos APC. They’re not listening to the grassroots, and they’re killing the spirit of democracy,” she said.
Speaking on Monday in an interview, a member of GAC, Chief Muraina Taiwo, backed the call for the chairman’s sacking, saying Ojelabi was only loyal to a faction of the party in the state, known as the ‘Justice Forum,’ sidelining the ‘Mandate’ and other factions.
Muraina said he was not initially aware of the protest, but noted that “what I know is that party stalwarts are not happy with the party chairman, most especially. The opinion is that they believe he is a Justice Forum member, and he is not trying to balance things. It is obvious in his dealings that he belongs to a faction.
“Imagine that in Oshodi, I was the one who brought the party there since the days of Lateef Jakande. The party chairman knows my ward. Because he knows my child was in the race, they went to write in my ward that they want a female, and my child had paid for the form. He was aspiring for the position of a councillor. He wanted me to go and lobby stakeholders in the Justice Forum, who are his leaders. I’m not totally for him as chairman, but I’m not a part of this protest. However, his dealings are what is only playing out.”
On the appointment of LG supervisors, the GAC member said it was normal for the governor and party leaders to approve their appointments. “That is how it’s supposed to be. It has been like that for a long time since Jakande’s days.”
Speaking further on alleged sidelining, he said, “Out of all the 57 local governments. Check, the whole council, all Justice Forum’s members, through the state chairman’s directive, took all the slots for councillors. If they don’t change before the 2027 elections, things will be worse.
“He does not have experience. It was with a fight that we took 20 slots for the chairman from them. So if they want us to win the 2027 elections, they should remove that chairman.”
Another GAC member who did not want to be quoted said he was not aware of the call for the chairman’s removal at the GAC level.
“Such a thing was not discussed at any GAC meeting that somebody should be removed. That is not to say that those people making those demands are frivolous; it’s not to say that.
“I’m only responding to your question about whether GAC knows about it. But then we cannot throw away whatever they have said as long as they are members of the APC.
“Firstly, you are just telling me about the protest. I’m hearing it for the first time. There was no meeting where it (chairman’s removal) was discussed. But we will look at the situation as presented. We will look at it and we will deal with it accordingly.
“You can’t hear from one side and conclude; it is the duty of GAC members to make sure that there is peace within the party,” the source said.
The chairman of GAC, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, could not be reached for comments on Monday, as an aide who picked up his call said the elder statesman was not available at the moment.
Chairman kicks
Ojelabi, however, described the claims by the aggrieved members as baseless and lacking substance.
In an interview with our correspondent on Monday, Ojelabi said he was not bothered by the protest, noting that things would no longer be “business as usual” in the party.
He faulted claims that his leadership was not beneficial to the aggrieved members.
“It’s not beneficial to them and we went to elections and won 375 councillors out of 376? We won 57 council chairmen, and it’s not beneficial to them?
“These are people who do not have substance as to what they are doing. It’s not going to be business as usual. We owe it a responsibility to the people of Lagos State to deliver the dividends of democracy.
“They expect that just as the council chairmen were sworn in yesterday (on Sunday), the issue of appointment of supervisors and other things should just follow immediately, and the governor made a pronouncement: ‘Allow these people to settle down. Let them understand the rudiments of governance. Give them the first 30 days to understand what they are inheriting. As you inherit assets, you equally inherit liability.’
“Is it at the state level that we’re going to appoint supervisors and SAs? No. We want the involvement of the leadership of each local government.”
He said the aggrieved members are people who did not have a grassroots base but believe that an imposition is ongoing.
“Did we impose councillors on them? They all emerged from their respective areas. Those who did not fit into the democratic process are the ones fighting back, but I’m not bothered. To the best of my knowledge, we have conducted the best local government election.”
On uniting the aggrieved party members, he said, “It’s a matter of time. By the time the leadership recommends who will be supervisors from their respective local governments, that is what we’re going to adopt. You can’t satisfy human beings.
“The leadership of each local government from the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs will recommend them based on the contribution of individuals. That is the mechanism. If you work assiduously for our success, let such people be rewarded. Not ‘because I know Ojelabi, he should appoint me as supervisor.’ No, I can’t be everywhere.
“Whatever they recommend is what we are going to approve. So they are just putting the cart before the horse. The process of appointing supervisors will not come up until the next 30 to 45 days. So that’s it, I’m not bothered. It’s an in-house issue and we will resolve it,” the chairman added.
In a Monday statement, the APC spokesperson in the state, Seye Oladejo, said the party acknowledged and respected the rights of party stakeholders and members to express grievances democratically. “Peaceful protests are a legitimate feature of civic engagement, and we commend those who have conducted themselves calmly and orderly,” he stated.
He, however, said that the selection of cabinet members for the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs would follow the laid-down rules and the internal party guidelines and the proposition by local leadership of the party after due consultations.
He said, “Please note that the party at the state level only plays an advisory role. The party hereby vehemently denies any allegation to impose nomination on any local government.
“We want to advise interested members to approach their local leadership, who are the custodians of the power to nominate.
“We remain committed to constructive dialogue to review concerns and disputes to ensure fair outcomes in line with party values.
“We appeal for constructive participation and plead with the protesters to channel their concerns through official party organs.”
A former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has denied being indicted in any corruption-related matter.
He also affirmed his membership in the People’s Democratic Party.
The ex-governor was recently nominated by President Bola Tinubu for an ambassadorial position and is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Sunday PUNCH had analysed the nominees, spotlighting five surrounded by controversies.
In Ikpeazu’s case, our correspondent referenced a Premium Times report on a 2024 KPMG document.
The 359-page document, titled ‘Final Report: Provision of Process Review Services to Abia State Government,’ was said to have flagged financial irregularities under the former governor’s administration.
It was also reported that the state government submitted a copy of the document to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for possible prosecution of those indicted.
But responding in a statement on Sunday, Ikpeazu said the KPMG report was misrepresented.
In the statement, Ikpeazu’s media adviser, Enyinnaya Appolos, argued that no audit of Abia State’s accounts was carried out; rather, KPMG conducted only a process review.
He said, “What the current administration commissioned was a process review — not a financial audit, not a forensic investigation, and certainly not an indictment.”
According to him, the document explicitly stated that the assignment was not conducted in the capacity of a statutory auditor, nor was KPMG required to render any opinion on the state’s financial statements.
The document quoted by Appolos was addressed to the Abia State Governor and was sighted by our correspondent on Sunday.
The document, dated March 2, 2024, read in part, “This assignment was not performed by us in the capacity of a statutory auditor. Hence, this is not any form of financial statement audit of ABSG or any entity listed in the report. We are, therefore, not required to render an opinion on the financial statements of ABSG or any entity listed in the report.
“Rather, we have performed the procedures we considered appropriate in the circumstances and in line with the relevant KPMG methodology.
“We were also not required to review the adequacy or otherwise of the output of the prior or current external auditors and/or consultants of ABSG.”
KPMG added that it “did not conduct a trial or inquiry in the course of the assignment, act as a tribunal, commission of inquiry, or in any judicial or quasi-judicial role; perform any adjudicatory function whatsoever; or conduct any exercise aimed at determining whether any person was guilty or innocent of any offence.”
Appolos stressed that “a process review cannot ‘indict’ anyone. It merely evaluates procedural compliance. It cannot make findings of guilt or wrongdoing.”
He also dismissed claims that Ikpeazu diverted N1.9tn, describing it as impossible.
“Abia State under Ikpeazu did not generate or access up to N1tn in total revenue in eight years. How does someone divert what does not exist?” he added.
He noted that the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies had previously reviewed and dismissed as politically-motivated allegations of diversion of N10bn meant for the Abia Airport project.
Appolos noted that since leaving office in 2023, Ikpeazu had never been charged, prosecuted, or invited by any court over corruption allegations.
“Dr Ikpeazu served Abia State diligently for eight uninterrupted years and left office without legal or administrative blemish,” he added.
He also dismissed the notion that Ikpeazu had dumped the PDP for the APC.
Appolos said, “His Excellency Okezie Ikpeazu has never defected to the APC. He remains a card-carrying and loyal member of the PDP.
“Only three weeks ago, he attended the PDP stakeholders’ meeting held on 18 November 2025. Any suggestion that he joined the APC is not only false but easily disproved by public records and party officials.”
Political parties interested in participating in the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State have conducted their primaries, and their candidates for the election are expressing a thirst for victory, ABIODUN NEJO writes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, which fixed June 20, 2026, for the Ekiti governorship election, had stipulated that primaries for the determination of candidates should be conducted between October 20 and November 10, 2025. According to the INEC guideline, the personal particulars of the candidates would be published by the electoral umpire on December 29, while the political parties’ opportunity to withdraw candidates and replace them would lapse on January 12, 2026. The electoral body had stated that it would publish the final list of nominated candidates of the participating political parties on January 19, 2026.
For now, the parties and their candidates include the governing All Progressives Congress (Governor Biodun Oyebanji), Peoples Democratic Party (Dr Wole Oluyede), African Democratic Congress (Dare Bejide), and Young Progressives Party (Daramola Owoola). They also include the Social Democratic Party (David Bankole), New Nigeria People’s Party (Mr Blessing Abegunde), Accord (Opeyemi Falegan), and Labour Party (Prof Oyebanji Olajuyin). But pending publication of the final list, whether some candidates will be replaced, the outcome of appeals, and anticipated litigations over the choice of flagbearer in some parties, the candidates who emerged from the primaries are expressing readiness to win the forthcoming election.
APC, Oyebanji
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, a former university teacher and astute politician, emerged as the APC candidate through a consensus process, following the withdrawal from the race and support for him by the second aspirant, Mrs Atinuke Omolayo. Earlier, of the four individuals who obtained APC nomination forms, the party cleared two, Oyebanji and Omolayo, for the primary and disqualified Kayode Ojo and Olajumoke Abimbola. Ojo has since remained tight-lipped, leaving people guessing whether he would challenge the outcome, even as Oyebanji extended an olive branch, expressing readiness to work with him.
On her part, Abimbola said she had taken the party to court, seeking nullification of the process that led to the emergence of the APC candidate, a claim the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said could not be proven, as nothing of the sort had been served on anyone. Before the primaries, it is noteworthy that over 300 groups and organisations from within and outside APC endorsed Oyebanji for a second term, citing his performance and achievements across various sectors of the state’s economy.
APC spokesperson, Dipe, who expressed confidence that Oyebanji would win the 2026 governorship election, said, “We are the party to beat, and our candidate is the candidate. Not only the candidate, but also the one who will certainly win the election. Everyone knows it, even the deaf and the blind. Everybody in this state knows that APC will win, and the candidate, who is the incumbent, will be in that seat until 2030, when he will hand over to another candidate from our party.”
At its primaries, the PDP elected a medical expert, Dr Wole Oluyede, as its candidate. He is a dogged politician who, in 2018, aspired for the APC ticket and flew the flag of ADC in 2022. Oluyede, in the 2015 PDP primaries, defeated three others, Funso Ayeni, Funmi Ogun, and Peter Obafemi. Obafemi stepped down for Oluyede at the event, while Ogun conceded defeat and pledged to work for Oluyede’s victory.
Oluyede
The PDP candidate is seeking unity in the party in the party’s bid to return to the Oke Ayoba Government House through the June 20, 2026, election. He also has his eyes on setting up reconciliation committees at the ward, local government, and state levels to genuinely bring party members together. This follows the deep-seated divisions and bickering that have weakened a party, which had previously produced governors on three occasions in the state.
Oluyede, however, is assured that the PDP has all it takes to defeat the governing APC in the state, urging all party members and Ekiti residents to join him in the path of liberating Ekiti and ensuring the PDP’s victory in the governorship election. He said, “Our party will win the election and form the next government. PDP has a large membership base and strong support. The opponents are already shivering in the face of the unity we are fostering and our determination to win the election.”
However, while the factionalisation in the PDP at the national level has been seen as an albatross, the PDP candidate expressed confidence that it would not affect his victory in the election. Oluyede, who said crises are part of politics, in view of the presence of different tendencies, expressed hope that every crisis would be resolved.
ADC, Bejide
Amb Dare Bejide, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, former Secretary to Ekiti State Government, and pioneer PDP state scribe, won the ADC ticket, having defeated four other aspirants. Bejide gave the assurance he would defeat APC in the 2026 election, citing the present realities in the state as the basis, as he stressed that the current administration in Ekiti State had failed to meet public expectations.
The ADC candidate said, “At the moment, Ekiti State Government is not doing very well for the people, and the people are looking for a change, a change in respect of the provision of infrastructure. So the people are looking for someone who will address their situation, and that is why our position is highly relevant. We are going to win, we are going to run a strong campaign in Ekiti State, and we are going to win,” Bejide said.
ADC State Chairman, Ilesanmi Omolayo, who said the party had begun the process of settling all interests that arose from the primaries, said, “We want to ensure that everybody works together as one family. Already, all the other aspirants are ready to work together with Amb Bejide.” Omolayo, who said ADC is widely spread across the nooks and crannies of the 16 local government areas of the state, expressed confidence that the party would win next year’s election. He said, “We have good people who are on the ground and mobilising. That is part of the chances of winning the election. Ekiti people are tired of APC; they are looking for a way out, and they have already chosen our party as an alternative. We have bright chances to win the election.”
The ADC state chairman, who said the party would disarm all opponents in the election with its manifesto and issue-based campaign, said, “When the time comes, more people will see that we have a good plan for the people. The APC or all these opponents cannot give what they do not have.”
YPP, Owoola
The YPP candidate, Daramola Owoola, a prolific politician and the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Ekiti State, emerged as the party’s flagbearer at a delegates’ congress, with a promise that his party would emerge victorious in the Ekiti governorship election.
Owoola said, “I have been in politics for a very long time, and I have actually studied the terrain before I joined the contest. I know Ekiti people are not in support of the APC and its candidate in the state.
Once people are no longer interested in a party, we need somebody who is formidable from another party. That is why YPP has chosen me.”
The YPP candidate, who said his party was building on its structures to make it more formidable ahead of the election, said, “If you look at the last election, you realise we had spread across the state based on the election result. As I am talking to you, we are building on our structure, and we are having many more people coming to join us. They are coming from the different political parties, including the APC and PDP. They are joining us because they feel aggrieved with how their parties are being run. Look at what is happening in the PDP, look at the way their leaders have treated them in the APC. We are receiving their members. YPP is positioned to win the election in this state. We have a very strong membership base, so our victory is sure,” Owoola said.
For the SDP, a renowned engineer, David Bankole, emerged as the candidate after two other aspirants, Peter Adesina and Adesola Dada, stepped down for him. SDP state chairman, Ayodele Bamikole, said that his party was well-equipped and well-prepared for victory in the June 2026 governorship election.
Bamikole said, “We are well-equipped and well-prepared for the election and victory. That was why we ensured a peaceful primary. We came up with a popular candidate who can challenge the candidates of other political parties. So, we are out there to win the election. We are well-prepared for it.”
The SDP chairman said the party had the necessary strength, including widespread support, to challenge the APC and the incumbent Governor Oyebanji and defeat the party in the forthcoming election. He added, “Politics is a game of numbers. Our party is enjoying popularity. Our candidate has the political clout, and we have our structures in all wards and across the state. So, I think this gives us an advantage to win the election come June 20 next year.”
Accord, Falegan
In the Accord, where philanthropist Opeyemi Falegan was affirmed as the party’s candidate through a consensus arrangement, there is the persuasion that it will form the next government in Ekiti State.
Falegan, who said that he was coming with a bold decision “to liberate Ekiti from the claws of recycled and greedy politicians with policies and programmes centred around transformation and empowerment of Ekiti people,” assured that his people-centric agenda would give Accord victory in the poll.
He promised to provide transformational leadership, formulate policies that would support a transformative agenda, and uphold democratic norms, value-adding acts, and citizen participation.
The Accord candidate lamented that vote-buying in choosing the person to govern the state had far-reaching negative consequences, as he advised that the electorate and party members should be discouraged from such acts. He said efforts would be geared towards stopping vote-buying in the 2026 election to disappoint politicians who could not win free and fair polls, but buy their way through, and he assured that international bodies would be involved in monitoring the election.
Falegan said, “Over time, the Ekiti State political system has witnessed an explosion in vote-buying, which must be discouraged and stopped before the next governorship election in Ekiti.”
Accord National Publicity Secretary, Omorogbe Osa, who commended members in Ekiti State for presenting a credible candidate for the election, called on the people of the state to give Falegan maximum support to win the forthcoming election.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, on Sunday projected a sweeping victory for the ruling party in the 2027 general elections, anchoring his optimism on what he described as the growing national acceptance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Yilwatda made the declaration in Abuja while receiving the leadership of Women Leaders Support Advancement, a political advocacy group canvassing greater inclusion of women in governance.
His comments come at a time the APC is intensifying internal consultations ahead of its crucial National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings now shifted to December 18 and 19 at the Presidential Villa.
“Our party is fully prepared for the future, and by the grace of God, the APC will win convincingly in 2027,” the APC Chairman declared.
He insisted that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had widened political participation for women and youths, adding that the administration’s policies aligned with growing demands for inclusive leadership.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu is deliberately structured to address the concerns of women, youths and all Nigerians who desire good governance and inclusive leadership,” he said.
Yilwatda urged Nigerian women to remain steadfast in supporting the President, describing them as essential to the APC’s grassroots machinery.
“I want to appreciate your dedication and encourage you to remain consistent in taking the message of the APC to every community in Nigeria,” he added. “Women remain the backbone of political mobilisation, and your role is critical to our success.”
The visit also offered the women’s organisation an opportunity to pledge deeper engagement across the country.
The group’s matron and co-founder, Dr. Martina Yilwatda, charged members to strengthen their presence at the grassroots.
“This platform must not only exist in name but must be felt in the homes, markets and communities of our women,” she said. “We must strengthen grassroots mobilisation, especially among women and youths, to deepen political participation and national development.”
The founder of the group, Deborah Hornecker, who was accompanied by the secretary, Zainab Musa, expressed appreciation to the APC chairman and his wife for their support.
“We sincerely appreciate the love and support shown to us by the APC Chairman and his wife,” Hornecker said. “We assure you that Women Leaders Support Advancement will mobilise women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support the APC and ensure victory for the party in 2027.”
The delegation also reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the achievements of the Tinubu administration and expanding the participation of women in national politics.
Yilwatda’s bold projection comes as the APC continues to consolidate its structures nationwide and fine-tune its strategy ahead of the 2027 race.
