Tinubu’s daughter rejects Lagos APC primary results, threatens protest

The Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and daughter of President Bola Tinubu, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, has threatened to stage a protest over the outcome of the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Lagos State. She alleged that the exercise was manipulated to favour the Justice Forum faction of the party.

Tinubu-Ojo made the claim on Wednesday during the weekly gathering of market leaders and stakeholders held at her office in Alausa, Ikeja.

She specifically faulted the announced results for Mushin Federal Constituency II, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro Constituency, insisting that the declared winners did not reflect what actually happened during the primaries.

The Lagos APC had earlier on Monday released the list of candidates who emerged from its House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The statement, signed by the Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, showed that 24 candidates secured House of Representatives tickets, while 40 candidates emerged for the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Among those listed as winners were Mojisola Meranda for Apapa I, Musibau Lawal for Apapa II, Barakat Bakare-Odunuga for Surulere I, and Damilola Ayinde-Marshall for Surulere II, alongside other successful aspirants across the state.

However, Tinubu-Ojo urged both state and national leadership of the APC to urgently probe the disputed primaries before final approval of the results, warning that unresolved disputes could widen internal divisions within the party.

She insisted that some aspirants, including Hon. Seye Oladejo in Mushin Constituency II, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege II, and Olotu Ojo in Ojokoro Constituency, were the rightful winners and should not be denied their mandates.

“We are ready to protest because of Seye Oladejo of Mushin Federal Constituency 02, 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,” she said.

Tinubu-Ojo also cautioned that the growing rivalry between the Justice Forum and Mandate Group factions within the APC could endanger the unity of the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

“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 Forum and Mandate because our candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, belongs to the Justice Forum. Everyone is now joining the Justice Forum because they believe that is where the incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? We are all APC,” she stated.

She further said, “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.

“I can’t understand members of the Mandate Group dumping Mandate 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. Something must be done about it.”

She reaffirmed the support of market women across Lagos for the governorship ambition of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates, stressing that traders remain a key political force in the state and should be fully included in governance and political appointments.