No fewer than 114 women councillorship and 10 chairmanship candidates have secured the tickets to run under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 12 local government elections in Lagos State, according to information released after the party’s primary elections over the weekend.
The candidates will battle for the seats with contenders in other political parties in the elections which will be held across 279 wards, 20 constitutionally recognised local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the State.
The 124 female candidates emerged based on the outcomes of the recently concluded primaries overseen by Babatunde Ogala, election committee chair.
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The chairmanship candidates include Olayemi Animasahun (Epe), Motunrayo Alogba (Ijede), Samiat Bada (Ikosi-Ketu), Muibat Rufai (Ojo), and Yemi Akindele Adunni (Mosan-Okunola). Others are Idowu Senanjo (Apapa), Tola Oyedele-Abubakar (Agboyi-Ketu), Bukola Omope (Bariga), Aminat Alabi (Iru/Victoria Island), and Adeola Adetoro (Etiosa).
This election cycle has witnessed a significant increase in women’s participation. A total of 76 women chairmanship aspirants were cleared to contest, compared to 399 male counterparts. The APC in Lagos took deliberate steps to encourage female participation, including reducing the nomination fee for female councillorship aspirants to N250,000, one-quarter of the N1 million charged for male aspirants. Women who stepped down before the primaries may also receive a refund of their nomination fees.
Ahead of the primaries, Cornelius Ojelabi, Lagos APC chairman, in a letter titled ‘The 2025 Local Government Councillorship Screening Result and the Party Instruction on Female Aspirants’, directed all local council party chairmen to prioritise female aspirants.
“You are strictly advised to comply with the party’s instructions associated with the result on the need to consider female councillorship aspirants in our wards accordingly as per the attached list,” the letter read.
The party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) reinforced the directive by granting concessions to female aspirants, aimed at enhancing inclusion.
Two weeks ago, prominent women leaders within the APC visited the party secretariat to demand 30 percent affirmative action in line with the Beijing Declaration. They called on the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) to honour its promise of increasing female representation in both councillorship and chairmanship positions.
A party insider revealed that President Bola Tinubu and other leaders supported the initiative, believing Lagos should set an example in promoting women’s political participation.
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“In any ward where there are seven aspirants, three councillorship slots automatically go to women. Where there are five, two would go to women. This is to enhance women inclusion,” according to a source quoted by The Nation.
While many women benefited from the party’s inclusive policy, some secured their positions based on performance. Three incumbent female chairmen, Animasahun, Alogba, and Bada, received second-term tickets, with Animasahun and Alogba emerging through consensus.
