Battle for LG Seats: APC, PDP Roll Out Plans as July Polls Near in Lagos

As Lagos State prepares for its upcoming local government elections in July, the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have stepped up political activities across the state.

At the APC secretariat in Ikeja, the party’s Screening Appeal Committee, chaired by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kazeem Adeniji, has commenced hearings on petitions filed by aggrieved chairmanship aspirants who were earlier disqualified. This move comes just days before the party’s primaries scheduled for Saturday.

In anticipation of the primaries, the Lagos APC Electoral Committee led by Babatunde Ogala (SAN) has called for a crucial stakeholders’ meeting. Scheduled for Wednesday at the party’s headquarters, the meeting will bring together members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), local government chairmen, federal and state legislators, outgoing council officials, and cleared aspirants.

Meanwhile, the PDP has launched its nomination process by distributing free forms to chairmanship and councillorship hopefuls. PDP BoT member and party leader in Lagos, Chief Bode George, explained that the gesture is aimed at removing financial barriers to political participation.

Focus on Women Representation

Lagos APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has issued a directive urging party leaders at the local level to prioritize female aspirants in accordance with the party’s commitment to gender inclusion.

While 187 female aspirants were screened for councillorship positions, the party’s Central Working Committee has approved 90 women to proceed to the primaries. In support of this, the party slashed nomination fees to ₦250,000 for women, compared to ₦1 million for male aspirants.

Rep. Kafilat Ogbara joined calls for increased gender parity, advocating for a leadership model that ensures either a male chairman with a female vice-chairman or vice versa.

“We need intentional policies that bring women into local government leadership. It’s time to follow models like that of Governor Wike and others who gave women equal seats at the table,” she said.

PDP Eyes Strong Comeback

In the PDP camp, Lagos Chairman Philip Aivoji confirmed the party’s readiness for the election. He noted that screening will soon follow the nominations, with the party already deploying an electoral management committee.

Speaking on the party’s chances, Aivoji expressed confidence in winning some LGAs, but declined to reveal the target areas, citing strategic reasons.

Chief Bode George also addressed internal party unity, saying that the PDP in Lagos had resolved its differences and was now more focused than ever. He dismissed concerns over the departure of former governorship candidate Olajide “Jandor” Adediran, insisting the party remains intact and undeterred.

“We’ve moved past our divisions. Our goal now is to support credible candidates and give Lagosians a true alternative,” George said.

TVN will continue to monitor developments as political momentum builds ahead of the July polls