By Peter Dansu After weeks of uncertainty, political intrigues and competing claims over the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC)...
By Peter Dansu
After weeks of uncertainty, political intrigues and competing claims over the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary in Badagry Federal Constituency, the party has finally handed its Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination form to Hon. Olusegun Onilude Adeniran, effectively affirming him as its candidate for the 2027 general election.
The presentation of the nomination form appears to have settled months of speculation over who would eventually fly the party's flag following one of the most contentious primary elections witnessed in Lagos State ahead of the polls.
The APC primary, held on May 16, 2026, had thrown the party into crisis after both Hon. Onilude and the incumbent member representing Badagry Federal Constituency, Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, declared themselves winners of the exercise.
The dispute stemmed from the conduct of the primary across the eleven wards that make up the constituency. According to the Whingan camp, elections were successfully conducted in only six wards, namely Posukoh Ward A, Awanijigoh Ward B, Iworo/Gbanko Ward F, Ajido Ward G, Ikoga Ward I and Salu/Yafin Ward K. The camp maintained that voting could not take place in Ajara, Ibereko, Apa, Keta East and Araromi-Ilogbo wards because of alleged irregularities involving party electoral officials.
Figures released by supporters of the incumbent showed that Whingan polled 472 votes against Onilude's 410 votes in Posukoh Ward A. In Awanijigoh Ward B, Onilude secured 988 votes to Whingan's 657. Whingan also recorded 693 votes against Onilude's 645 in Iworo/Gbanko Ward F. In Ajido Ward G, Onilude polled 540 votes while Whingan secured 279 votes. Whingan won convincingly in Ikoga Ward I with 1,285 votes against Onilude's 183, while Onilude also led in Salu/Yafin Ward K with 573 votes to Whingan's 503.
Based on those results, the Whingan camp insisted that the incumbent scored a total of 3,889 votes against Onilude's 3,339 votes, giving him a margin of 550 votes in all the wards where voting allegedly took place.
However, the controversy took a dramatic turn hours after the exercise when another result emerged from the camp of Hon. Onilude declaring him winner of the primary. The figures included results from the five wards where Whingan's supporters insisted elections never held.
The conflicting results immediately generated heated debates within the APC, with allegations that votes were allocated to candidates in areas where no voting took place.
The Whingan camp repeatedly cited a viral video circulating on social media in which an APC electoral official allegedly admitted that no election was conducted in Apa Ward despite results being recorded for the ward. The camp argued that similar allocations were made in other wards where elections had earlier been declared inconclusive.
Another issue that fuelled the controversy was the result attributed to Ajara Ward. Critics alleged that the total number of valid votes announced from the ward exceeded the number of registered voters, raising further questions over the credibility of the figures.
Despite the allegations and counterclaims, both camps stood firmly by their positions, with each insisting it had legitimately won the primary.
The uncertainty deepened when the Lagos State chapter of the APC published the names of its House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates in a national newspaper, listing Hon. Olusegun Onilude Adeniran as the party's candidate for Badagry Federal Constituency. The publication, signed by the Lagos APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, did not disclose the scores recorded by the aspirants.
Days later, Ojelabi clarified that the published list was based on the outcome of the primaries conducted across the state, adding that the National Working Committee retained the constitutional authority to determine and submit the party's final list of candidates after considering appeals and petitions filed by aggrieved aspirants.
His clarification kept the Badagry contest alive, with supporters of both aspirants expressing confidence that the final decision would favour their respective candidates.
The uncertainty, however, appeared to have ended on Monday after photographs surfaced on social media showing Hon. Onilude receiving the APC's INEC nomination form. The development is widely seen within political circles as the party's final endorsement of his candidacy for the Badagry Federal Constituency seat.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Hon. Olusegun Onilude Adeniran nor Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan had issued an official statement on the latest development, leaving party members and political observers awaiting their reactions to what could mark the closing chapter of one of the most fiercely disputed APC primary elections in Lagos State.
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