In preparation for the July 12 Local Government Election in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed that 432 aspirants will participate in its upcoming chairmanship primaries scheduled for next Saturday.

This follows the conclusion of the party’s screening exercise, which took place between Tuesday, April 29, and Friday, May 3, at the APC Secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba.

Out of the 470 aspirants screened, 432 were cleared by the electoral committee to contest across the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).

The party disclosed that “38 other aspirants were either disqualified or they voluntarily withdrew from the race.”

A breakdown of the aspirants shows that the overwhelming majority are male, with 411 men and 59 women vying for the tickets.

An internal assessment revealed that Amuwo-Odofin topped the list with 20 cleared aspirants, followed closely by Shomolu with 18.

Other LGAs with high numbers include Apapa-Iganmu (16), Bariga LCDA (15), Ikorodu Central (15), and Yaba (14).

Additional LGAs such as Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Badagry Central each had 13 aspirants cleared.

In contrast, some councils had minimal competition.

“Iba, Ijede, Oto-Awori and Lekki and Surulere had one aspirant each cleared to contest unopposed,” a party source confirmed.

In Agege Local Government, the absence of AbdulGaniyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, was noted.

“AbdulGaniyu Obasa did not show up for the screening as seven aspirants were cleared to contest,” the source added.

According to the party’s earlier released guidelines, indirect primaries will be conducted.

“Executive members across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) would vote on May 10,” the statement read.

It was further gathered that elections will proceed only in councils where consensus candidates fail to emerge.

The party also outlined an appeals process for disqualified aspirants: “Disqualified aspirants have an opportunity to file an appeal between Sunday, May 4 and Monday, May 5. Those who wish to contest the outcome of the primaries can submit petitions to the Appeal Committee between May 12 and 13.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to depart Abuja on Saturday for Libreville, Gabon, where he will attend the inauguration of the country’s President-elect, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

Shettima will be representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is presently on a two-day official visit to Katsina State.

Oligui Nguema has been serving as Gabon’s transitional leader since August 2023.

He emerged victorious in the April 12 presidential election, securing 58,074 votes, amounting to 94.85 percent of the total ballots cast, according to final figures released by Gabon’s Constitutional Court.

Among the seven candidates he contested against was former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who came in second with just 3 percent of the vote.

The remaining contenders each failed to attain even 1 percent.

In a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, spokesman for the Vice President, he noted: “Nigeria remains supportive of the peaceful democratic transition in Gabon and reaffirms the government’s broader strategic interest in promoting democratic governance and regional stability in Central Africa.”

Nkwocha also confirmed that “the Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria after the inauguration.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has denounced the walkout staged by a group of women loyal to suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara during an event for First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The incident occurred on Friday at the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme held at the EUI Event Centre in GRA, Port Harcourt.

In a statement delivered by Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike offered an apology to both the First Lady and President Bola Tinubu on behalf of the people of Rivers State.

He called the action “an embarrassment to the people of Rivers State,” emphasising that “insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in an event is a direct insult on the office of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Olayinka explained that the women leading the demonstration included some former Local Government Vice Chairmen, and that the programme was intended “to benefit 500 women in the state with various empowerment items.”

Though Wike was in China on official duties, he described the walkout as “very disturbing and embarrassing,” and warned Fubara’s supporters to “desist from ridiculing the state.”

He urged the suspended governor to be forthright with President Tinubu about his grievances, stating, “It is not enough to be visiting people to plead for peace. Those who genuinely want peace work and act for it.”

Wike challenged the sincerity of Fubara’s camp: “These are the same people pleading for peace, but at the same time doing things that are contrary to what they are pleading for. How can you say you want peace and at the same time, you are sponsoring people to insult everyone, including the president and his wife?”

“All those shenanigans won’t bring peace, and I am sure they know that, because they are not sincere with their up and down pleadings for peace.”

“As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality that yesterday’s show of shame and we apologise to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the characters and ideals of the people of Rivers State.”

Governor Soludo,

Valentine Ozigbo, who narrowly lost the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Anambra State, has accused Governor Chukwuma Soludo of secretly funding Senator Nicholas Ukachukwu’s campaign in order to hobble the party’s chances come November 8, 2025.

Ukachukwu secured the APC’s ticket with 1,455 votes at the April 5 primary; Ozigbo trailed with just 67.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ozigbo claimed that Soludo, the APGA governor, met privately with him before the primary to encourage him to step aside, but then redirected resources to Ukachukwu once he refused.

“Let me make yet another allegation: Soludo is funding Nicholas to weaken the APC. And the only way we can prove this is to invite us to your show and bring a Bible to swear, because these things can’t be easily evidenced,” Ozigbo declared.

Asked if he’d congratulated Ukachukwu, Ozigbo replied, “If it was a semblance of a proper primary, I would have congratulated him. We haven’t spoken. Why would I congratulate?”

Ozigbo went on to recall his own clash with Soludo in 2021.

“I defeated Soludo in 2021. He knows why he is scared of me becoming a candidate, but I was rigged out. I have it on good authority, based on what I discovered long after it happened,” he said.

“I called Soludo back then, congratulated him and moved on, without going to court. But in this case, the wrong is so severe that I’m asking myself, should I allow this impunity to continue?”

“No. I will engage further with the party leadership. Let them convince me this shouldn’t be happening.”

Soludo has not publicly responded to Ozigbo’s latest accusations.

Meanwhile, Ozigbo questioned Ukachukwu’s track record: “Who is Nicholas Ukachukwu? How come he has never won anything since his time at the House of Representatives? Why does he show up at every election? How come the people I defeated are now the ones defeating him?”

Ukachukwu, on his part, dismissed the criticism in a separate interview, asserting that his former Labour Party rival “came from a disadvantaged position” when he defected into the APC.

Ozigbo confirmed on April 8 that he had appealed the primary’s outcome to the APC Appeals Committee, branding the process “a charade, a well-orchestrated heist designed to deliver a predetermined outcome.”

He alleged that non-members were listed as delegates, loyalists were barred or intimidated, and vote counts were manipulated.

Still, Ozigbo insists he will remain within the APC to safeguard democratic values.

“This is not just about me. It is about the soul of our democracy, about the values we claim to represent, and about the future we owe our children. I will stay the course.”

“I did not join politics to decorate the register or receive accolades. I came to restore integrity to our political system. I will stand firm, here in the APC, and I will fight this good fight to its just end,” he said.

The primary vote tallies were: Ukachukwu 1,455; Ozigbo 67; Johnbosco Onunkwo 26; Edozie Madu 8.

Three aspirants; Sir Paul Chukwuma, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, and Hon. Chuma Umeoji withdrew citing procedural opacity.

APGA’s Soludo was later confirmed unopposed with nearly unanimous support, while the Labour Party chose George Moghalu over John Nwosu by 573 to 19.

INEC has set the Anambra governorship election for November 8, 2025.