APC Dominates Lagos Local Government Polls Amid Opposition Outcry.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has achieved a resounding victory in the Lagos State local government elections held on Saturday, 12 July 2025, securing all 20 chairmanship seats and 375 of the 376 councillorship positions across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), led by Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd), announced the results on Sunday at its headquarters in Sabo, Yaba, confirming the APC’s near-total sweep, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinching just one councillorship seat in Ward D, Yaba LCDA.
The elections, conducted across 13,325 polling units, saw over seven million registered voters eligible to choose leaders for Lagos’ local councils. Despite a largely peaceful process, the exercise was marred by low voter turnout and logistical challenges, including late arrivals of electoral officials and materials in areas like Ikosi-Isheri, Eti-Osa, and Ojodu LCDAs. LASIEC’s chairperson praised the electorate’s maturity and the absence of major violence, noting that the polls were “free, fair, peaceful, orderly, transparent, and credible.” She also commended security agencies and media for their professionalism, which ensured a conducive atmosphere at polling stations.
APC’s landslide victory reinforces its longstanding dominance in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, and a stronghold of President Bola Tinubu, who governed the state from 1999 to 2007. Key results included Taiwo Oyekan’s win in Lagos Island LGA with 28,385 votes, dwarfing PDP’s Ajibade Olusegun’s 1,271, and Prince Lanre Sanusi’s triumph in Amuwo-Odofin with 24,926 votes against Labour Party’s Seyi Ipinlaye’s 1,962. In Ikorodu LGA, APC’s Adedayo Ladega secured 38,946 votes, far ahead of Labour Party’s Abdulazeez Awesu with 2,753. The party’s spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, hailed the outcome as a testament to APC’s enduring relationship with Lagosians, pledging continued infrastructure development.
However, opposition parties, including the Labour Party (LP), PDP, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and African Action Congress (AAC), fiercely contested the results, alleging widespread irregularities. AAC’s Lagos chairman, Ayoyinka Oni, described the election as a “complete sham” and “daylight robbery,” citing late arrivals of officials and voter suppression. He demanded the cancellation of the polls and the resignation of LASIEC’s chairperson and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, accusing them of overseeing a flawed process. Similarly, PDP’s deputy chairman, Tai Benedict, alleged ballot box stuffing and manipulation, claiming the APC inflated its votes to project false popularity. Former deputy governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele echoed these sentiments, reporting missing voter names and relocated polling units, calling for the election’s annulment.
Social media reflected the opposition’s frustration, with one X user in Eti-Osa lamenting, “APC swept my unit… Labour Party didn’t even have an agent to sign the result sheet.” Despite these criticisms, Governor Sanwo-Olu praised residents for their orderly conduct, urging calm as results were finalised. He described the election as a vital step toward sustaining grassroots development, with APC leaders like Yaba’s Adebayo Adefuye unveiling ambitious plans for a “new Yaba.”
The APC’s clean sweep, while celebrated by the party as an endorsement of its governance, has sparked broader concerns about voter apathy and trust in the electoral process. With 845,225 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards and reports of sparse turnout, particularly in Lagos Island East, analysts suggest deeper civic engagement is needed ahead of the 2027 general elections. As LASIEC prepares to issue certificates of return to elected officials, the opposition’s vowed legal challenges signal that this victory may yet face scrutiny.