The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State has deepened, with the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, calling for the dissolution of the Justice Forum and the Mandate Group, two of the most influential political blocs within the ruling party in the state.
GWG.ng reports that Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu, made the call on Wednesday while condemning alleged manipulation of APC primary elections in some constituencies, including Mushin Constituency I, Agege Constituency II and Ojokoro.
Her intervention is politically significant because the Justice Forum has increasingly become one of the most powerful tendencies in Lagos APC, especially following the emergence of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as the party’s governorship candidate. Hamzat is widely associated with the Justice Forum tendency, while the Mandate Group once strengthened by figures including former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has appeared less dominant in recent power calculations, especially with Aregbesola’s absence from the Lagos APC mainstream.
Speaking during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders at the Iyaloja General’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, Tinubu-Ojo accused some party actors of subverting the will of APC members by allegedly handing tickets to aspirants who did not win the primaries.
She specifically cited the cases of Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege Constituency II, Seye Oladejo in Mushin Federal Constituency and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro, insisting that the aspirants won their respective primaries convincingly before attempts were allegedly made to alter the outcomes.
Tinubu-Ojo said the continued existence of Justice Forum and Mandate Movement had become dangerous to unity within the Lagos APC, warning that the struggle between party blocs was now undermining fairness, loyalty and internal democracy.
“We have to cry out now; let the APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums because our governorship candidate belongs to the Justice Forum,” she said.
According to her, the growing influence of the Justice Forum since Hamzat’s emergence was already creating fear among other tendencies within the party.
“Everybody is now joking at the Justice Forum because that is where our incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? When he becomes the governor, he will not be the governor for the APC alone; he has to balance it. Even when you are the governor, you have to lead both your friends and foes,” she stated.
Tinubu-Ojo lamented what she described as a situation where aspirants who worked under one bloc suddenly migrated to another bloc once the balance of power shifted.
“It is saddening that when a Mandate Group aspirant wins, he jumps to Justice Forum; it is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work doesn’t pay in politics. Something must be done on that because it is important,” she added.
The Iyaloja General insisted that the disputed primaries should be reviewed immediately, saying the mandate of those who won should not be stolen.
“We are sure that Seye Oladejo won in Mushin Federal Constituency and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro won in Ojokoro with a landslide,” she said.
“In fact, we decided to calm down and see what they will do about it because we are ready to protest. We know they won the election and their mandate should not be given to somebody else.”
She urged APC leaders at the state and national levels to investigate the disputed primary elections and ensure that justice prevailed before the final ratification of the results.
Tinubu-Ojo warned that failure to address the grievances could further worsen internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She also decried the alleged marginalisation of traders by political office holders in Lagos State, despite what she described as their consistent contributions to the growth and electoral success of the APC.
According to her, market women and traders remain a critical support base for the party and should not be remembered only during campaigns.
She declared that market women across Lagos remained committed to supporting the governorship ambition of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates nationwide, but stressed that traders deserved recognition, inclusion and political appointments in return for their loyalty and sacrifices.
Tinubu-Ojo also urged President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge traders as critical stakeholders in national development and political mobilisation.
Meanwhile, a petition from concerned Ojokoro leaders over the alleged manipulation of the state constituency primary result has reportedly been forwarded to President Tinubu.
In Mushin, aggrieved APC members and supporters also threatened mass protests if the alleged mandate of Seye Oladejo was not restored.
The protesters accused leaders of the Justice Forum bloc of attempting to impose candidates and undermine internal democracy within the party.
“We know who won the election, and the mandate should not be stolen. We are ready to protest if justice is not done,” one of the protesters said.
The unfolding dispute has again exposed the deep factional currents within Lagos APC, where Justice Forum and Mandate Movement have for years served as powerful vehicles for political recruitment, mobilisation and control. But Tinubu-Ojo’s demand for their dissolution now signals growing discomfort within the President’s political family over the role of these blocs in shaping party outcomes ahead of 2027.