Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi, an aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Agege Constituency I in Lagos State, has challenged the declaration of Mr. Gbenga Michael Abiola as the party's candidate. Egunjobi stated on Thursday that he received 9,132 votes in the primary, ahead of Segun Olawoye with 450 votes and Abiola with 430. He claimed he was publicly declared winner by electoral officials at the venue and holds records from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to support his position.
Egunjobi alleged that the Lagos State APC leadership disregarded the collated results and imposed Abiola, whom he said finished third, through what he described as a "back-door process." He maintained that the outcome violated internal party democracy and undermined the will of party members. According to him, his victory was announced in full view of the public before the final list of candidates was altered by party leaders.
He emphasized that his protest is not driven by personal ambition but by a need to protect the integrity of the party's electoral process. Egunjobi said democracy depends on respecting the votes cast and that distorting outcomes weakens public confidence. He has submitted a formal petition to the party's internal dispute resolution bodies, along with evidence backing his claim.
The aspirant urged his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while the matter is being reviewed. He called on APC leadership to conduct an objective review of the primary election results. Egunjobi expressed confidence that the truth would prevail and that the mandate given by party members would be honored. He thanked the media for promoting transparency and pledged continued faith in the democratic process.
Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi won the APC primary in Agege Constituency I with 9,132 votes but watched as Gbenga Michael Abiola, who scored 430, was declared candidate. The party leadership's override of verified results raises questions about whose votes actually count in Lagos APC primaries. Egunjobi's protest exposes a gap between public declarations of victory and final candidate selection. Voters who participated in good faith may now question whether their ballots were merely performative.
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