Igando-Ikotun residents storm APC secretariat, reject party’s LCDA candidate

Residents of the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) converged on the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Ikeja yesterday, wielding placards and banners to protest the party’s move to renominate Hon. Lasisi Akinsanya as LCDA chairman.

Demonstrators, drawn from diverse wards within Igando-Ikotun and unaffiliated with any political faction, accused the incumbent chairman of presiding over a tenure marked by stalled projects, poor service delivery, and a conspicuous absence of measurable progress.

Around 9:00 a.m., hundreds of protesters—men, women, and youth—gathered outside the APC secretariat, chanting slogans such as “No progress, no vote!” and “Igando-Ikotun deserves better!” Their placards bore messages like “End Stagnation: Reject Akinsanya” and “Accountability Now!” The mood was tense but peaceful, with local vigilantes maintaining order and ensuring the group remained on the sidewalk without obstructing traffic along Allen Avenue.

Comrade Olokodana Bukhari, acting as the spokesperson for the demonstrators, addressed the press and party officials around 10:30 a.m. He denounced the process that led to the APC’s endorsement of Akinsanya, arguing that key party elders—namely former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola and chieftain Enilolobo—had unduly influenced the decision. “Hon. Lasisi Akinsanya has been imposed as the party’s candidate for the coming polls. We are here to inform the party hierarchy that he is unfit to represent our LCDA,” Bukhari declared. “Endorsing his candidacy is a recipe for disaster in 2025 and could jeopardize the APC’s fortunes in the 2027 general elections.”

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Bukhari’s criticisms went beyond mere election punditry. He outlined what he termed “systemic underperformance” under Akinsanya’s administration, citing Igando-Ikotun’s recurring placement at the bottom of Lagos State’s monthly development scorecards. According to Bukhari, essential infrastructure—such as drainage networks, neighborhood trash collection, and street lighting—has either stalled or regressed over the past three years.

“We recorded frequent flooding during the last rainy season because most drainages were never rehabilitated. Streetlights remain unlit, and our health centers still lack basic amenities. This is the leadership you want to prolong?” he asked.

A notable feature of the protest was its cross-generational composition. Mrs. Dayo Aderinmola, a women’s leader from Ward 6, cautioned the APC to take the demonstrators’ petition seriously. “Our market women, petty traders, and even schoolteachers have endured poor road conditions and erratic water supply under Akinsanya. We seek not political affiliation, but accountability. The petition we submitted outlines detailed examples of projects promised but never delivered. The party must investigate these claims before it’s too late,” she emphasized.

Despite calls for calm, protesters did not shy away from critiquing the larger party structure. Several placards bore the names of Rauf Aregbesola and Enilolobo, accusing them of “backroom politics” and “vendetta candidacy.” One sign read, “Aregbesola & Enilolobo: Hands Off Our LCDA!” The insinuation was clear: these senior APC figures, according to the demonstrators, had brokered deals that sidelined community input in the nomination process.

Inside the APC secretariat, the state party secretary, Dr. Adeola Jokomba, came out to meet the delegation at around 11:15 a.m. He received a formal petition—in triplicate—that outlined the protesters’ grievances, including incomplete drainage projects, unlit street corners, and inoperative public health centers. Jokomba assured the crowd that their concerns would be subjected to scrutiny by the party’s screening committee.

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“We have signed to acknowledge receipt of your letter,” he told Comrade Bukhari and other representatives. “I can confirm that either I or another senior party official will contact Comrade Adebayo Ifedayo, who led this delegation, before the end of this week. However, let me caution that if there are any attempts by outside elements to hijack this protest for ulterior political motives, the party reserves the right to act accordingly.”

Bukhari responded by reiterating the protesters’ independence from any faction and urged the APC not to view the exercise as a mere formality. “We are not demanding miracles, only that the APC listens to the grassroots. If our petition is dismissed or buried, we will escalate this matter to the national secretariat and mobilize wider community support,” he warned.

Political analysts observing the eruption of street-level dissent point out that Igando-Ikotun’s protest could be symptomatic of a wider disaffection within Lagos LCDA councils, where residents increasingly demand tangible results rather than symbolic appointments. According to a recent study by the Lagos Urban Institute, 62% of residents in five LCDAs surveyed cited lack of visible development as their primary grievance against sitting chairpersons. While the APC has dominated Lagos State politics for nearly two decades, experts suggest that grassroots endorsements—that is, community buy-in—could be a deciding factor in upcoming local and state elections.

As of press time, the APC state screening committee had not announced a revised list of approved chairman candidates. However, local APC stakeholders confirmed that they were holding closed-door meetings to review the petition’s allegations and consider alternate nominees, should they find the claims against Akinsanya credible.

For now, the residents of Igando-Ikotun LCDA remain on high alert. With election primaries scheduled for later this quarter, the protesters’ rally in Ikeja has signaled a growing impatience with political leaders who, in their view, prioritize party loyalty over constituency development. It remains to be seen whether the APC hierarchy will adjust its nomination in the face of this vocal dissent—or whether the party’s grassroots ranks will continue to protest until their demands are met