The Lagos State Local Government Chairmanship Aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have petitioned President Bola Tinubu over non-refund of their nomination and expression of interest fees.
The aspirants, who spoke in a petition dated February 18, alleged that refunds have reportedly been made to councillorship aspirants and a few Local Government Chairmanship aspirants, while over 300 chairmanship aspirants across the 57 Local Governments and LCDAs are yet to receive their refunds.
It, however, denied the claims circulating that all aspirants have been refunded, saying this situation is generating widespread dissatisfaction and is already affecting party stability at the grassroots level.
It said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State is today facing one of the gravest self-inflicted crises in its political history.
“At the centre of this controversy is the outright refusal of the Lagos State chapter of the party to comply with constituted authority—specifically, the directive of President Bola Tinubu, and the moral authority of the Executive Governor of Lagos State—regarding the refund of monies paid by aspirants who contested in the deeply controversial 2025 Local Government Chairmanship and Councillorship elections.
“This election has rightly gone down as the most disputed and contentious local government exercise in the history of Lagos State.
“Hundreds of loyal party members, many of whom have invested decades of service, resources, and grassroots mobilisation into the APC, were subjected to a process widely perceived as opaque, exclusionary, and predetermined.
“Yet, in the spirit of party loyalty and national interest, these aspirants accepted the intervention of the President, who reportedly directed that all aspirants be refunded as a means of restoring confidence, justice, and internal cohesion.
“Shockingly, the Lagos State APC leadership, under the chairmanship of Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, alongside members of the State Executive Committee, has chosen a path of open defiance.
“This refusal to act on a presidential directive raises serious questions about discipline, loyalty, and respect for hierarchy within the party that prides itself on progressive values and internal democracy.
“Let it be stated clearly: no state chapter of a political party is greater than the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially when that President is a founding pillar of the same party and a former Governor of Lagos State himself.
“To disregard such a directive is not merely administrative arrogance; it is an act of political insubordination with far-reaching consequences.
“The continued refusal to refund these aspirants has already fueled anger, resentment, and quiet rebellion across wards and local governments. Grassroots mobilizers—the very engine of electoral success—feel betrayed and humiliated.
“If this injustice is allowed to stand, it will inevitably translate into voter apathy, internal sabotage, protest votes, and loss of credibility ahead of future general elections.
“History has shown repeatedly that political parties do not collapse from external opposition but from internal injustice. What is happening in Lagos today is a textbook example of how unchecked impunity at the state level can undermine national leadership and weaken party unity.
We therefore call on all well-meaning Nigerians, party elders, progressive leaders, and stakeholders to urgently prevail on Ojelabi and the entire State Exco to immediately comply with the President’s directive and refund all affected aspirants without further delay.
“This is not merely about money. It is about justice, credibility, party discipline, and the moral authority of leadership. Failure to resolve this matter promptly will cast a long and damaging shadow over upcoming elections in Lagos State and beyond, with consequences that may be irreversible.”
