By: Manoah kikekon
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos is embroiled in a high-stakes legal battle following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s signing of the Local Government Administration Law 2025 a sweeping reform designed to standardize leadership transitions across the state’s 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.
At the heart of the crisis is Section 28(4), which states that any Vice Chairman who completes a predecessor’s term even for a single day will be considered to have served a full term and barred from two subsequent terms.
The law’s first test came in Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, where a former Vice Chairman was disqualified under this clause.
Yet, in Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, the APC cleared a candidate who served as Vice Chairman, completed a deceased Chairman’s term, and won a full term sparking accusations of "selective justice" and hypocrisy.
Constitutional lawyers argue the inconsistency undermines the law’s credibility and invites court challenges. With the July 12 elections looming, the party faces mounting pressure to clarify its stance or risk alienating grassroots supporters. The PDP and Labour Party (LP) are capitalizing on the chaos, vowing to exploit APC’s "self-inflicted crisis" to win councils.
The controversy threatens to overshadow Governor Sanwo-Olu’s reform agenda and could destabilize Lagos’s political machinery ahead of the 2027 general elections. As debates rage over the constitutionality of LCDAs and LASIEC’s preparedness, all eyes are on the courts and the APC’s next move.