APC aspirants defend Obasa, reject protest sponsorship claims

Babatunde Joseph

A coalition of aspirants in the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries has condemned what it described as a “malicious and distracting attempt” to link the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr Mudashiru Obasa, to the peaceful protests held last week over the party’s primaries.

In a worded statement issued on Wednesday, June 10, and signed by prominent party figures, 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, Hon. Seye Oladejo (Mushin), Hon. Kolawole Taiwo (Ajeromi-Ifelodun), Hon. Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa), Hon. Stephen Ogundipe (Oshodi), Hon. Apata Samuel (Somolu), Hon. David Doherty (Amuwo-Odofin), Hon. Ganiyu Egunjobi (Agege), and Hon. Ganiyu Ayuba (Alimosho).

The aspirants stressed that the protest was driven by genuine grievances and was not sponsored by any individual or group.

“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 said.

According to the group, the protesters raised concerns over alleged manipulation, distortion of results, electoral malpractice, and disregard for party guidelines during the primaries.

The aspirants argued that these concerns were neither isolated nor imaginary but reflected 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 a bid 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,” the statement added.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the aspirants urged party leaders to focus on resolving the outstanding issues arising from the primaries.

They emphasised that the APC’s strength lies in its ability to accommodate differing opinions, address 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 future elections with a united and formidable front,” the statement added.