The All Progressives Congress in Lagos State has declared that all aspirants seeking elective offices ahead of the next elections will emerge through direct primaries, with room for consensus where agreeable to stakeholders.
The position was contained in a statement released by the Lagos State Chairman of the party, Cornelius Ojelabi, on his official Facebook page, where he outlined the framework for the party’s candidate selection process.
Ojelabi said the party’s approach aligns with provisions of the Electoral Act and relevant guidelines, stressing that the process would comply with the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He stated, “In line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the party will adopt DIRECT PRIMARIES as the first option for electing our candidates. However, consensus arrangements will also be encouraged where possible, provided such agreements are freely reached and popularly accepted by all interests.”
The chairman made it clear that no aspirant has been pre-selected for any position, urging interested members to take part in the process in line with laid-down rules.
“I wish to state categorically that all the available positions are open for contest as the party has no anointed candidate for any seat. We, therefore, encourage all members who wish to contest any of the positions to do so in accordance with the law. However, it is important to note that the party will NOT REFUND the nomination and/or administrative fees to any aspirant,” he said.
He assured party members of a fair contest, noting that the process would reflect the will of the people across constituencies.
“As a progressive party, we will give all members a level-playing field to contest the positions of their choice in a free, fair and transparent manner that will produce the real representatives of the various constituencies,” Ojelabi added.
The party also signalled plans to encourage female participation in the exercise.
“Furthermore, in line with our party’s commitment to inclusivity and gender equity, special consideration will be given to popular and influential female aspirants in relevant constituencies to promote their participation and contribution to the process,” he stated.
Ojelabi stressed that the party would not impose candidates or interfere with the outcome of the primaries, calling on members to abide by established rules.
“Therefore, all interested members should play by the rules as we will not engage in imposition of candidates and neither will we influence the outcome of the primaries,” he said.
He added that the party remains committed to internal democracy and urged members to maintain discipline and respect while awaiting detailed guidelines from the national leadership.
“As a party of structure, we remain committed to upholding the principles of internal democracy and, thus, encourage everyone to play his part with dignity and honor. Therefore, while we await the official guidelines on the primaries from our national body, we urge all members to, as usual, conduct themselves with decorum, discipline, and mutual respect.”
