Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State have called on party stakeholders across the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to adopt consensus in selecting candidates for Saturday’s primary elections ahead of the July 12 council polls.

The call was made during a key Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Ikeja on Wednesday, where several APC leaders emphasized the importance of peace and unity within the party.

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hazmat, highlighted that consensus-building is a longstanding tradition in the party and urged aspirants to make necessary concessions for the emergence of the best candidates. “Let us do it the way we have been doing it. It is consensus. We apportion things to ourselves,” Hazmat stated.

Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos, also addressed the meeting, stressing the need for consensus in light of the over 500 chairmanship aspirants. Olusi said, “It has become imperative for all of us to support and cooperate with the party. Five persons cannot occupy a single seat,” while urging aspirants to show understanding and work together for the party’s progress.

Mr. Babatunde Ogala, SAN, Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, appealed to party leaders, including Hazmat and the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, to ensure aspirants accept consensus. Ogala assured stakeholders of the committee’s commitment to ensuring fairness throughout the process, emphasizing the importance of the election for both Lagos and the national party’s image. He also revealed that the committee would release the final list of aspirants by Thursday.

Addressing the election process, Ogala explained that the chairmanship primaries would be held at the state party secretariat, while councillorship primaries would take place at the ward level on Saturday. He urged party leadership to work together to make the process as smooth as possible, suggesting that affirmation by local governments could simplify the task.

Earlier, Lagos State APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi reminded stakeholders of the importance of prioritizing the party above personal ambitions. He stressed the need for unity and cooperation to build a stronger party in the state.

Despite the call for unity, some supporters from various local governments expressed their dissatisfaction with what they termed the “imposition of candidates” by carrying placards to the meeting, signaling growing tensions within certain areas.