- Scrap Justice, Mandate Groups Now – Tinubu-Ojo Warns Lagos APC
- Threatens Protest Over Alleged Manipulation
- Defends Oladejo, Oladeebo, Olotu Ojo
The Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to scrap the Justice Forum and Mandate Group factions within the party, warning that the growing rivalry between both blocs could threaten party unity in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Tinubu-Ojo made the remarks on Wednesday during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders held at her office in Alausa, Ikeja, where she also threatened to mobilise a protest over the outcome of the recently concluded APC primaries in the state.
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She alleged that the primaries were manipulated in favour of the Justice Forum faction, particularly in Mushin Federal Constituency II, Agege Constituency II and Ojokoro Constituency.
According to her, the results announced by the party did not reflect the actual outcome of the exercise in the affected constituencies.
“We have to cry out now. Let APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums. We are one family. We are for APC. Now, they are using Justice Forum and Mandate because our candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, belongs to the Justice Forum. Everyone is now joining the Justice Forum because they believe that is where the incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? We are all APC,” she stated.
The Lagos State chapter of the APC had on Monday released the names of candidates who emerged from the House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly primaries ahead of the 2027 elections.
The list, signed by the Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, showed that 24 candidates emerged for House of Representatives tickets while 40 secured tickets for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Among those announced as winners were Mojisola Meranda for Apapa I, Musibau Lawal for Apapa II, Barakat Bakare-Odunuga for Surulere I and Damilola Ayinde-Marshall for Surulere II.
However, Tinubu-Ojo maintained that some aspirants, including Hon. Seye Oladejo in Mushin Federal Constituency II, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege II and Olotu Ojo in Ojokoro Constituency, genuinely won the primaries and should not be denied their mandates.
“We are ready to protest because of Seye Oladejo of Mushin Federal Constituency 02, Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo of Agege 2 constituency, Olotu Ojo of Ojokoro constituency, because we know they won this election. Their mandate should not be given to somebody else,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as the growing trend of members abandoning the Mandate Group for the Justice Forum because of perceived political advantage linked to the governorship ambition of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
“I can’t understand members of the Mandate Group dumping Mandate and joining the Justice Forum. And if Mandate won the election, they would try to manipulate and put Justice Forum members there. It is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work does not pay in politics. Something must be done about it,” she added.
Tinubu-Ojo further urged APC leaders at both the state and national levels to investigate the disputed primaries before the final ratification of the results to avoid deepening internal divisions within the ruling party.
She reaffirmed the support of market women across Lagos State for the governorship ambition of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates, while calling for greater political inclusion for traders and market stakeholders in governance and appointments.
