Fresh tensions have erupted within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, as aggrieved chairmanship and councillorship aspirants accuse the party’s state chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, of failing to refund nomination fees despite an alleged directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The aspirants claim they were asked to purchase nomination forms for the 2025 council elections at ₦5.5 million for male aspirants and ₦3 million for female aspirants. According to them, the breakdown included ₦5 million for the intention form and ₦500,000 administrative charge for men, while women paid ₦2.5 million for the intention form and ₦500,000 administrative charge.
One of the affected aspirants told SaharaReporters that tensions escalated when party leaders allegedly opted to handpick candidates instead of conducting primaries.
According to her, aspirants were persuaded to withdraw from the race with written assurances that their nomination fees would be refunded. She said many complied in good faith, relying on those promises.
However, months after the withdrawals, the refunds have reportedly not been fully paid. The aspirants claim that during a meeting in November 2025, Ojelabi assured them the refunds would be completed before December 15, 2025 — a promise they say was not fulfilled.
They further alleged that President Tinubu intervened and directed that the aspirants be refunded, but the state leadership has yet to comply fully.
According to the group, Ojelabi later adopted a staggered, local-government-by-local-government payment approach, starting with councils beginning with the letter “A.” They claim refunds were made to aspirants in about eight local governments before the process stalled, leaving approximately 300 aspirants unpaid.
In a petition reportedly submitted to the President, the aggrieved members described the situation as a “grave self-inflicted crisis” and warned that ignoring the directive could undermine party discipline and unity.
They cautioned that the unresolved issue risks fueling resentment at the grassroots level and could negatively impact future elections in Lagos State.
The aspirants have called on party elders and stakeholders, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to intervene and ensure compliance with the alleged refund directive.
As of the time of this report, the Lagos APC leadership has not publicly responded to the fresh allegations.