Folasade Tinubu-Ojo has threatened to stage a protest over alleged manipulation of the results of the primary elections of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos.
Recently, the APC concluded its primary elections for presidential ticket, governorship flagbearers, senatorial and House of Representatives seats, as well as state House of Assembly seats.
Allegations of imposition and electoral irregularities have trailed the ruling party’s primaries in some states.
Speaking at a weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders in Alausa on Wednesday, Tinubu-Ojo, Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, called for the scrapping of the Justice Forum and Mandate Group in the Lagos APC.
The president’s daughter alleged that because Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos deputy governor and 2027 Lagos APC governorship candidate, belongs to the Justice Forum, the primary election results were skewed to favour members of the forum.
Tinubu-Ojo cited that Seye Oladejo in Mushin Constituency 2, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege 2, and Olotu Ojo in Ojokoro won their primaries, but the results were allegedly distorted.
“We have to cry out now. Let APC cancel Justice and Mandate forums. We are one family. We are for APC. Now, they are using Justice and Mandate Forum because our candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, belongs to the Justice Forum,” she said.
“Everyone is now joining the Justice Forum because they believe that is where the incoming governor belongs to. Are we not Lagosians? We are all Lagosians. We are all APC.
“Even when he becomes governor, he will not govern only APC members, he has to balance it. Everyone must be carried along. If you are a leader, you are leading both your friends and foes. You have to work for all.
“I can’t understand members of the Mandate Group dumping the group and joining the Justice Forum. And if Mandate won the election, they would try to manipulate and put Justice Forum members there.
“It is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work does not pay in politics. We need something to be done about it. It is very important.
“We are ready to protest because of Seye Oladejo of Mushin Federal Constituency 2, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo of Agege 2 constituency, Olotu Ojo of Ojokoro constituency, because we know they won this election. Their mandate should not be given to somebody else.”
The Mandate Group and the Justice Forum are two pressure groups within the Lagos APC. They are often considered the two most powerful factions within the party in Lagos State.
In 2020, all political groups within the Lagos APC were dissolved, including both groups. The dissolution came two weeks after Rauf Aregbesola, former Minister of Interior, reorganised the Mandate Group without the endorsement of then APC national leader, Bola Tinubu.
