The Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, has threatened to lead a protest over the outcome of the recently conducted All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Lagos State.
Tinubu-Ojo alleged that the primary election process was manipulated in favour of the Justice Forum bloc within the party, warning that the development could deepen internal divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She made the remarks on Wednesday during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders held at her office in Alausa, Ikeja.
Naija News reports that the Lagos State chapter of the APC had earlier released the names of candidates who emerged victorious in the House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly primaries conducted ahead of the 2027 elections.
The list, signed by the Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, showed that 24 candidates emerged for the House of Representatives tickets, while 40 candidates secured tickets for the State House of Assembly.
However, Tinubu-Ojo challenged the outcome of the primaries in Mushin Federal Constituency II, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro Constituency, insisting that the declared results did not reflect the actual winners.
She specifically mentioned Seye Oladejo, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo, and Olotu Ojo as candidates she believed genuinely won their respective primaries.
“We are ready to protest because of Seye Oladejo of Mushin Federal Constituency 02, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo of Agege 2 constituency, Olotu Ojo of Ojokoro constituency, because we know they won this election. Their mandate should not be given to somebody else,” she stated.
Tinubu-Ojo called on both state and national leaders of the APC to investigate the disputed primaries before the final ratification of results, warning that failure to address the complaints could further polarise the party.
She also expressed concern over what she described as growing factional politics within the Lagos APC, particularly between the Justice Forum and Mandate Group blocs.
According to her, political alignments within the party are increasingly being influenced by perceived loyalties connected to the governorship ambition of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
“We have to cry out now. Let APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums. We are one family. We are for APC. Now, they are using Justice Forum and Mandate because our candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, belongs to the Justice Forum,” she said.
She added that many politicians were now abandoning the Mandate Group to join the Justice Forum because they believed it was politically advantageous ahead of the next governorship race.
“Everyone is now joining the Justice Forum because they believe that is where the incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? We are all APC,” she said.
Tinubu-Ojo stressed that political leadership should promote fairness and inclusiveness rather than division and favoritism.
“Even when he becomes governor, he will not govern only APC members; he has to balance it. Everyone must be carried along. If you are a leader, you are leading both your friends and foes,” she added.
The Iyaloja-General further lamented that the situation was sending a dangerous message that loyalty and hard work no longer mattered in politics.
“It is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work does not pay in politics. Something must be done about it,” she stated.
She also reaffirmed the support of market women and traders across Lagos State for the governorship ambition of Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates, while calling for greater political inclusion and recognition for traders who play a significant role in the state’s political structure.
According to her, market women remain a major political constituency in Lagos and should not be sidelined in governance and political appointments.
