The camp of Hon. Gbolahan Bagostowe in Somolu Constituency 1 has rejected what it described as an attempt to impose another individual as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat.
In a statement signed by the Bagostowe Media Crew, the group said genuine APC members, elders and grassroots stakeholders in the constituency remained firmly behind Bagostowe, insisting that “hired crowds, imported mobs or orchestrated political theatre” could not alter the will of the people.
The group claimed that before the party’s primary election, a seven-man committee was constituted to determine the APC candidate for Somolu Constituency 1 and that the committee unanimously selected Bagostowe.
It further alleged that the primary election was compromised after voting was disrupted in four of the six wards.
According to the statement, the election panel led by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Audit, Hon. Yemi Ayoola, acknowledged that voting had been disrupted in the affected wards.
The group claimed that Bagostowe emerged victorious in what it described as the valid process, but alleged that the returning officer was pressured to disregard established guidelines and declare the said individual as the winner.
The Bagostowe camp also accused a political group known as “The Progressives” of pursuing a winner-takes-all strategy in Somolu Federal Constituency.
It argued that the group, which had already produced Hon. Kolade Alabi as the APC’s House of Representatives candidate, should not also control the House of Assembly ticket.
The statement warned that concentrating the two tickets in one political camp could undermine the party’s internal balance and electoral prospects in the constituency.
It also questioned the electoral strength of the said individual, describing the figures attributed to him from the disputed primary as unrealistic and insisting that the party must consider its performance at the general election.
The group said the electoral process was not yet concluded, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had yet to publish the final list of candidates on its portal.
It maintained that lawful substitution of candidates remained possible until September 12, urging party leaders and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
The Bagostowe camp called on APC members and voters in Somolu Constituency 1 to reject misinformation and remain united, declaring that Bagostowe’s mandate remained intact.
