APC Lagos Ticket Dispute escalates as members protest alleged ticket change in Eti-Osa Constituency I ahead of 2027 Lagos Assembly elections
A group of All Progressives Congress members and political support organisations in Eti-Osa Constituency I, Lagos State, on Thursday staged a protest and called on President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership to urgently intervene in what they described as a disputed Lagos State House of Assembly ticket arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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The centres on the party’s published list of candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly, which named Saheed Bankole as the flagbearer for Eti-Osa Constituency I, a development that has triggered strong opposition within the constituency.
Supporters of the incumbent lawmaker and Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Noheem Adams, insist that he won the party’s primary election, citing results that allegedly showed a decisive margin in his favour.
According to figures from the primary conducted in Ajah, Noheem Adams reportedly secured 7,638 votes, while Saheed Bankole polled 1,225 votes.
Election officials subsequently declared Adams the winner of the exercise across the constituency’s wards.
However, tensions escalated after the All Progressives Congress released its official list of candidates on May 25, naming Saheed Bankole as the approved candidate for the constituency, a decision that sparked protests and deepened internal divisions.
Lagos ticket for APC dispute played out publicly at the Second Toll Gate area of Lekki, where members of the Noheem Adams Support Group, alongside youth organisations, women’s groups and community stakeholders, demanded that the party respect the outcome of the primary election.
Speaking during the protest, Owolabi Yisa urged APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Lagos State APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi to uphold what he described as the democratic mandate of party members.
Owolabi Yisa warned that overturning the result could undermine party unity and weaken grassroots confidence in internal party processes, stressing that the outcome reflected overwhelming support for Noheem Adams.
He also noted that Adams enjoys strong backing across traditional institutions, market associations and community groups, describing his alleged primary victory as a clear expression of voter preference within the party structure.
“The will of party members was clearly demonstrated during the primary election,” Owolabi Yisa said, adding that disregarding the process would create unnecessary tension within the constituency.
Protesters further appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to intervene and ensure that fairness and internal democracy are preserved within the party.
In response to the controversy, Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi stated that the published candidates list remains the official record submitted by the party’s national committee overseeing the primaries.
He added that the state chapter only published results forwarded to it and had no authority to alter them.
Despite this position, aggrieved party members insisted the issue must be revisited, arguing that transparency in candidate selection is essential to maintaining trust and unity within the party.
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While reaffirming loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the protesters maintained that resolving the APC Lagos Ticket Dispute is critical to preventing further internal fractures ahead of the 2027 elections.
