A governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Ajose, has criticised the ongoing push for a consensus arrangement within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that the party must conduct open primaries to determine its candidate.
Ajose made his position known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, where he reacted to reports that the Lagos APC Governance Advisory Council (GAC) had endorsed the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, as its preferred consensus candidate.
He argued that any attempt to sidestep a primary election would go against the spirit and provisions of the party’s constitution, which he said clearly allows aspirants to test their popularity through a competitive process.
“We understand what consensus means. Consensus says that every aspirant who has picked the party and nomination form must consent to it. We don’t know why Hamzat is scared of going into the primaries,” he said.
Ajose insisted that confidence in a candidate should be demonstrated at the polls, not through internal endorsements alone.
“If you are big, you have the popularity, the networks and the grassroots support, then let’s go into the primaries. Why is everybody scared of the primaries? Everybody must go into the primaries; that is what the constitution says,” he added.
He maintained that the upcoming primaries would give party members the opportunity to decide who truly represents their interests, expressing optimism that the process would reveal the genuine preference of the electorate within the party.
“We are all going to meet in the primaries and let everybody come in to test their strength, and we will see the results in the next few weeks,” Ajose said.
He also claimed that there is growing dissatisfaction among residents over governance in Lagos, arguing that many people are seeking change in leadership direction.
“The masses are tired of how Lagos is being run. The masses are tired of the leadership in Lagos, and they want something new,” he said.
Ajose further dismissed reports of wide-ranging endorsements within the APC, alleging that some of them were being misrepresented as presidential backing.
According to him, no formal meeting has been held involving all aspirants to agree on a consensus arrangement, adding that any legitimate process would require full participation and consultation.
“If there was going to be consensus, the President would invite all aspirants to sit down and agree. That has not happened,” he said.
The Lagos APC GAC, chaired by Tajudeen Olusi, had reportedly adopted Dr Hamzat as its consensus governorship candidate during a meeting held at Lagos House, Marina, citing party unity as the reason for the decision. The move has continued to generate reactions within the party as the 2027 race begins to take shape.
