Discontented members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State staged a protest on Monday, demanding the immediate removal of the party’s State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, and accusing him, alongside Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of halting the appointment of supervisory councillors across the state’s 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) for over six months.

The protesters, who described themselves as concerned and loyal party members, gathered on Monday in Alausa, Ikeja to voice their frustration over what they called the “declining state of internal democracy and grassroots governance” under the current leadership.

In a petition titled “An Appeal to Urgently Save Our Party and Secure Our Lagos,” the group accused Ojelabi of running the party without vision, inclusiveness, or accountability since assuming office in 2021.

“Our party in the state has been under rudderless leadership since Pastor Ojelabi took over. Members have endured his excesses, prayed for change, and reported him to the leaders — all to no avail. Now, it is clear that his mismanagement has led us to the brink,” the petition stated.

The group alleged that the 2025 local government primaries were heavily manipulated across the LGAs and LCDAs, calling it the “worst in the history of our progressive party in Lagos State.”

Citing the party’s loss of Lagos to the opposition during the 2023 general elections — the first such loss since 1998 — the protesters claimed that Ojelabi’s leadership has weakened the APC’s grassroots structure and damaged its electoral prospects.

“The current situation is a far cry from the era of inclusive leadership under respected party leaders like His Excellency Abiodun Ogunleye, Otunba Henry Ajomale, and Alhaji Babatunde Balogun,” the statement read.

The protesters further alleged that Ojelabi, in collaboration with Hon. James Faleke and other influential party figures, is attempting to monopolize the party’s local structure ahead of the 2027 elections by handpicking local government executives without broad consultation.

“We are tired of the selfish leadership that has derailed from the progressive ideals of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We call on our party leaders to remove Ojelabi immediately and allow genuine party administration to thrive,” the protesters declared.

While reaffirming their commitment to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ Agenda, they urged immediate intervention to avert deeper internal crises within the party.

Speaking to journalists, Bola Balogun, a protester from Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, criticized the prolonged delay in the appointment of supervisory councillors and other key local government officials.

“They’ve stopped us from appointing our ‘supers’ for six months. Is that done anywhere else? They say we should beg before we can choose our leaders,” he lamented. “Meanwhile, the tenures of our chairmen are almost over, and the people are tired.”

Balogun added that party members want a grassroots system that reflects the will of the people, not one dictated from the top.

The protest ended with a resounding call: “Enough is enough. Ojelabi and his team should take a bow and allow our party to breathe in Lagos State.”

There has been no official response from the APC leadership as of the time of filing this report.

Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat briefly addressed the protesters, urging them to go home peacefully and assuring them that the matter could not be resolved on the streets.

Two members of the Lagos State House of Assembly — Hon. Bonu Solomon (Badagry I) and Hon. Yinka Esho (Mushin) — also appealed to the group, promising to take their grievances to the appropriate authorities.