Lagos, May 16, 2026 (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election held in Lagos Mainland on Saturday was thrown into controversy following allegations of widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and disruption of the electoral process across several voting centres.
Aggrieved delegates spoke in separate interviews with correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who covered the election on Saturday in Lagos.
The disruption was reported in areas including Apapa Road, Makoko, Iwaya, Adekunle, and Old Yaba Road, where party members and delegates allegedly faced intimidation and were prevented from participating freely in the exercise.
A cross section of some APC delegates who were not allowed to vote after mainland after the cancellation of APC House of Representative Primary election held in Mainland on Saturday
Mr Kazeem Omolaja and Mr Abdulhakeem Animashaun were among those who vied for the position.
L-R: Mr Ladi Falase, the House of Representative APC aspirant, Prince Abdul-Hakeem Animashaun and Mr Mr Samson Sambaqiu during a briefing in Lagos after the primary election on Saturday
NAN reports that there was a massive turnout of voters at the Mainland Local Government Secretariat.The voters had arrived the venue on time, very active and enthusiastic about the elections , with supporters carrying posters of their preferred candidates while also chanting their names loudly to show their support.However, as events began to unfold, controversies and allegations of widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and disruption of the electoral process across several voting centres followed.
The development created tension and confusion, as aggrieved members accused some party leaders of attempting to manipulate the process in favour of a preferred candidate.
A party exco at the venue, Mr Awotungashi Ramon, said that he wasn’t happy at the turnout of activities as he had expected better coordination of the crowd and voters.
Also, according to eyewitnesses and party members, supporters of Mr Kazeem Omolaja allegedly disrupted the exercise by forcing out participants and delegates of Mr Abdulhakeem Animashaun from the voting centres in the affected areas.
Speaking after the exercise, some loyalists of Animashaun rejected the outcome of the primary election, insisting that the process failed to meet acceptable democratic standards.
“We reject whatever outcome emerges from today’s election because the process was flawed and manipulated,” one of the supporters stated during the protest.
Party members present at the election grounds further called on the leadership of the APC to investigate the allegations and ensure justice for all aspirants and their supporters.
Security personnel were deployed to some of the affected centres to maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating further.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership in Lagos Mainland had yet to issue an official statement regarding the allegations and the disruption that marred the exercise.
Mr Samson Sambaqi, one of the APC delegates in Mainland area, described the election as incredible.
He said that no election took place in all the wards under Mainland Local Government, while he described the election as being marred by irregularities among the party officiating leaders.
“There are so many touts chasing us with harmful objects. We are no longer comfortable with the oppression,” Sambaqi said.
Also speaking, Mr Ganiyu Allison, urged APC leaders to look into the election, adding that a person was counted about five times, which he said showed there was no equity in today’s primary election in the Mainland area of Lagos.
Another delegate, Mrs Folake Ogunlade, who also voted at Municipal area along Apapa Road, said the election was inconclusive.
She said she witnessed where families came and were counted one after the other without accreditation and party identification cards.
In his response during a briefing after the election process at Mainland area of Lagos, one of the six aspirants for House of Representatives, Prince Abdul-Hakeem Animashaun, said the primary election was not free and fair.
Animashaun said before today, the delegates in his constituency were very happy to witness a peaceful election from the APC where he belonged.
He decried the desperation of some individuals which took centre stage, adding that delegates were disappointed over the inconclusive election as a result of the disruption which took place.
“The information we have before today is that all delegates should come with their membership registration slips with means of identification.
“To our surprise when we got there, they asked everybody to line up without any form of accreditation.
“Apart from that, those that conducted the primaries did not show any form of identification, not with any tag, no result sheet.
“The election materials were shown to party agents, and before we knew what was happening, they commenced the process of counting. They counted one person five times while the same person would go and queue for another council,” Animashaun said.
NAN also reports that other aspirants also expressed disappointment at the primary election conducted in Lagos Mainland. (NAN).(www.nannews.ng).
