Lagos APC members protest at Assembly complex

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…Protesters demand removal of state chairman Cornelius Ojelabi
…Police maintain order as tension brews over party leadership

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State staged a protest on Monday at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex, demanding the immediate removal of the party’s state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.

The demonstrators, said to be mobilised from the 57 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the state, converged on the Assembly premises in Alausa, Ikeja. They brandished placards bearing bold inscriptions such as “Ojelabi Must Go” and “We Demand New Leadership”, voicing deep-seated frustration with the current party leadership.

Protesters accused Ojelabi of failing to inspire confidence and lead effectively, insisting that the party needed fresh leadership to reposition it ahead of key political activities.

“We can no longer fold our hands and watch the party go down under failed leadership,” said one of the protesters. “We are calling on the National Working Committee and our party elders to act now and save the APC in Lagos.”

Security was tight around the Assembly complex, as a large number of police officers were deployed to ensure the demonstration remained peaceful. Their presence helped avert any breakdown of law and order during the protest.

Despite the large turnout and rising calls for action, both the leadership of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the state executive of the APC had yet to issue an official statement as of the time of filing this report.

Political analysts say the protest could signal deeper internal rifts within the APC in Lagos, a state widely regarded as the party’s stronghold since the return of democracy in 1999.