Supporters of a House of Representatives aspirant in Lagos, Kolawole Taiwo, popularly known as HKT, staged a peaceful protest over the outcome of the party’s primary election in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area on Monday.
The protests held at the Lagos State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) attracted dozens of party faithful to the Lagos State House of Assembly and the APC Secretariat in Acme, prompted a heightened security presence.
Armed personnel were stationed at strategic points, and an armored vehicle was deployed to maintain law and order.
The protesters alleged that the May 16, 2026 primary election was manipulated, despite earlier assurances by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that party primaries across the country would be transparent and peaceful.
Speaking during the demonstration, the Youth Leader of Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Agbalaya Ganiyu, accused party officials of compromising the process.
He claimed that results from several wards showed the aspirant was leading the contest before the process was disrupted.
According to him, the returning officer was allegedly prevented from announcing the results openly before being taken away from the venue.
“They hijacked the returning officer and took him to another location where they allegedly wrote different results before presenting them at Acme,” he claimed.
The protesters further alleged that voting did not take place in some wards, yet figures were entered into result sheets, while vote totals in certain areas reportedly exceeded the number of registered party members.
Ganiyu described Kolawole Taiwo as a grassroots politician whose previous tenure in the House of Representatives brought empowerment programs, constituency projects, schools, and healthcare interventions to the residents of Ajeromi-Ifelodun.
He noted that the demonstrators were demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities, calling on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to intervene.
“We have evidence to support our claims. What happened was manipulation and fraud, and we are demanding that our mandate be returned,” he stated.
Placards displayed by the protesters carried inscriptions such as “Democracy Under Siege, Stop the Manipulation,” “HKT Is Our Voice,” and “We Demand Justice for Ajeromi-Ifelodun.”
Despite the protest, security operatives successfully maintained calm around the APC Secretariat as party members and residents monitored the developments.