Dozens of members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State staged a protest on Monday at the Lagos State House of Assembly, demanding the immediate removal of the party’s state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
The protest, which drew representatives from all 57 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), signaled rising internal tensions within the ruling party in the state.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards bearing inscriptions such as “Ojelabi Must Go,” “We Want Fresh Leadership,” and “APC is Not a Family Business,” the protesters accused Ojelabi of fostering division, favoritism, and marginalizing key party loyalists and grassroots stakeholders.
The protest caused significant activity outside the Lagos Assembly Complex in Alausa, with security agencies deploying heavily armed personnel to maintain order and prevent the situation from escalating.
Despite the tension, the protest was largely peaceful, though the protesters remained adamant in their call for sweeping reforms within the Lagos APC leadership.
The protest did not emerge in isolation. Party insiders say the grievances stem from months of internal discontent over what protesters described as Ojelabi’s “undemocratic and exclusionary style of leadership.”
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One of the protesters, who introduced himself as Alhaji Wasiu Jimoh from the Alimosho LCDA, said, “The party has been hijacked by a few people. We—the grassroots members—have been ignored. We no longer have a say in the decisions that affect the future of our party. Pastor Ojelabi has failed to carry everyone along.”
Another aggrieved party member from Badagry, Mrs. Omolara Fadipe, added, “Since he assumed office, our meetings have been irregular, and he does not respond to the complaints of local government executives. We cannot continue like this.”
The agitations were not limited to procedural issues. Several protesters alleged that the current chairman’s leadership has stifled new political actors and promoted recycled loyalists, thereby closing opportunities for youth and women’s participation in the party’s structure.
The protest has reignited calls from within the party for the Lagos APC to undergo internal reforms and adopt a more inclusive leadership model. Speaking to journalists, a spokesperson for the protesters, Mr. Tunde Salami from Eti-Osa, said, “We are here not to destroy but to correct. Pastor Ojelabi’s leadership has failed to unite the party. We need a chairman who listens, who consults, and who allows internal democracy to thrive.”
Salami emphasized that the protest was not sponsored by any political figure or faction but was a spontaneous decision by party members frustrated with being sidelined.
Punch Newspaper
