124 Women vie for Chairmanship, Councillorship seats in upcoming Lagos LG Polls

No fewer than 114 women councillorship candidates under the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be contesting in the forthcoming July 12 local government elections in Lagos State.

The elections will be held across 279 wards spread within the 20 established local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Additionally, 10 female candidates secured the party’s chairmanship tickets following the outcome of the recently conducted primaries overseen by the Election Committee chaired by legal practitioner Babatunde Ogala (SAN). Those in the race include Mrs. Olayemi Animasahun (Epe Council), Motunrayo Alogba (Ijede), Samiat Bada (Ikosi-Ketu), Muibat Rufai (Ojo), and Yemi Akindele Adunni (Mosan-Okunola). Others are Idowu Senanjo (Apapa), Tola Oyedele-Abubakar (Agboyi-Ketu), Bukola Omope (Bariga), Aminat Alabi (Iru/Victoria Island), and Adeola Adetoro (Etiosa).

While the results have been largely accepted, some protests and petitions from aggrieved aspirants are being collated for review by the Appeal Panel. The Election Committee, led by Ogala, has already begun compiling its report for the party leadership, which will have the final say since the tickets belong to the party.

Reports from the field indicated that the primaries were conducted peacefully and were considered credible. Delegates at the event were described as seasoned party officers with deep grassroots experience, many of whom have been active since Nigeria’s first and second republics. For example, the average age of delegates from Imota Council was noted to be between 65 and 70 years.

Delegates expressed satisfaction with the election process while commending Ogala and his team for their thoroughness, vigilance, and strict adherence to party guidelines. The exercise was closely monitored by security personnel led by Lagos State Police Commissioner Moshood Jimoh and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Kafilat Ogbara, lauded the outcome of the primaries, describing it as a significant step toward gender inclusivity within Lagos APC. She acknowledged that while the party hasn’t reached perfection, notable progress has been achieved. “We must appreciate our president for ensuring this happens. The directive on inclusion was well followed,” she stated.

Ogbara encouraged the female candidates to seize the opportunity and prove their capabilities in leadership. According to her, after the polls, more women are also likely to be appointed as supervisory councillors and council legislature leaders. She pointed out that, compared to previous elections, more women collected nomination forms this time. A total of 399 male chairmanship aspirants were cleared after screening, while 76 female aspirants were also approved.

To further support women’s participation, the Lagos APC chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, directed local council party chairmen to prioritize female aspirants. This was detailed in a letter titled, ‘The 2025 Local Government Councillorship Screening Result and the Party Instruction on Female Aspirants,’ instructing strict compliance with the attached list of female aspirants.

To reduce financial barriers, the party also slashed the nomination fee for female councillorship aspirants to ₦250,000 while male aspirants paid ₦1 million. Women who withdrew before the primaries will reportedly be refunded.

Two weeks ago, prominent APC women leaders had staged a visit to the party secretariat to demand a 30 percent women inclusion quota in line with the Beijing Declaration. They urged the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) to fulfill its promise to allocate more leadership positions to women at the council level.

Ogbara, speaking before the nominations, emphasized the need for gender balance in local government leadership. She cited the example of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who ensured that every male council chairman was paired with a female vice-chairman and promoted female lawmakers during his tenure. She called on APC leaders to emulate such deliberate and inclusive leadership.

She further noted that under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, during the Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) eras, efforts were made to make politics more accessible to women. She expressed hope that the current reforms would continue to lower barriers and encourage more women’s involvement.

A party source hinted that this year, a policy was introduced to further women’s participation, stating that in any ward where there are seven councillorship slots, three would automatically go to women, while in wards with five slots, two would be reserved for female aspirants.

Nonetheless, some women clinched their tickets through merit. Three incumbents—Animasahun, Alogba, and Bada—were reportedly re-nominated based on their performance in office. Animasahun and Alogba secured their tickets by consensus, while Bada, recognized for her developmental projects in Ikosi-Ketu council, also made the list.

Bada expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his commitment to gender inclusion. “We are happy with what is happening in Lagos at the moment,” she said.

Lagos APC Women Leader, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, also praised the new wave of inclusion, noting that the chapter is now more determined to encourage women to take active roles in development. “This time around, the party is genuinely thinking about women,” she added.