Lagos LG Election: The 11 Stringent Rules in APC Guidelines on How The Candidates Will Emerge

By Dansu Peter  As the race for the 2025 local government elections heats up in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has release...

By Dansu Peter 

As the race for the 2025 local government elections heats up in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has released a detailed framework outlining the stringent rules and procedures that will govern the emergence of chairmanship and councillorship candidates in the state.

The party’s State Working Committee (SWC), in a circular made available to stakeholders, emphasized a rigorous, structured approach to ensure transparency, discipline, and internal democracy throughout the selection process.

Chairmanship and Councillorship Primaries

According to the guidelines, both Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries will be conducted through indirect primaries—except where aspirants reach a consensus. For chairmanship, delegates will comprise members of the Local Government Executive Committee, while for councillorship, members of the Ward Executive will form the Electoral College.

Voting, in both cases, will be held at venues specifically designated by the APC Electoral Committee.

Strict Electoral Conduct and Delegate Requirements

The guidelines set out 11 key provisions that will govern the primaries:

1. Accredited Voting Only: All accredited delegates must present their APC Membership Cards and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) linked to their respective local government or ward before participating.

2. Private Balloting: Delegates will be issued ballot papers upon accreditation and must write the name of their preferred aspirant in privacy before submitting it into designated boxes.

3. One Vote Rule: No delegate is allowed to vote for more than one aspirant.

4. Vote Integrity: If the number of votes cast exceeds the number of accredited delegates, the election will be voided.

5. Run-Off in Case of Tie: In the event of a tie, a run-off election will be held between the tied aspirants, with a simple majority deciding the winner.

6. Immediate Collation and Documentation: All votes are to be counted immediately, and results must be entered on the official APC Result Sheet. Any result recorded on ordinary paper will be considered invalid.

7. Monitoring and Oversight: A dedicated Monitoring Team will be deployed to each Local Government Area and Local Council Development Area to observe proceedings and report directly to the State Electoral Committee.

8. Ban on Canvassing: Canvassing or solicitation of votes at the election venue is strictly prohibited.

9. Simultaneous Accreditation and Voting: Both processes will commence simultaneously at 9:00 a.m.

10. Exclusivity of Electoral Roles: No party official at any level is permitted to act as a polling agent or electoral officer during the primaries.

11. Final Authority: The decision of the State Electoral Committee, acting on behalf of the SWC, is final and binding on all aspirants and members.

Appeals Process

To address potential disputes, the party will establish a five-man State Primaries Appeal Committee comprising individuals of proven integrity. The Appeal Committee will handle all petitions arising from the conduct of the primaries. However, the final appellate authority rests with the State Working Committee.

With these stringent rules in place, the APC aims to reinforce discipline, prevent electoral malpractice, and uphold the credibility of its internal democratic processes as it prepares to field candidates in the upcoming grassroots elections.