A viral recorded telephone call allegedly featuring Hon. Olasupo Olowe, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Director General of the Supo Olowe Bola Ahmed Tinubu Empowerment Foundation (SOBAT), has ignited a political firestorm in Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The audio, which has been widely circulated on social media, reportedly captures Olowe instructing stakeholders of Owode-Onirin spare parts market to rally behind candidates handpicked by Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, the influential House of Representatives member for Kosofe Federal Constituency. The allegations have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the APC’s candidate selection process in the LCDA ahead of upcoming local elections.
According to sources familiar with the voice note, Olowe claimed that political power in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA has decisively shifted to Ogbara’s camp, urging local stakeholders to mobilize and publicly applaud her chosen candidates in the presence of the electoral umpires. The audio allegedly revealed that there would be no open primaries for aspirants in the LCDA, with candidate selection instead set to take place at Ajegunle Primary School, the original venue for primaries. Most strikingly, Olowe is said to have disclosed that Ogbara has selected a female aspirant from her political faction to become the next chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, effectively sidelining other aspirants.
The revelations have sparked outrage among some APC members in Agboyi-Ketu, who accuse party leaders of undermining democratic processes. “This is a blatant imposition,” said a local party member, who requested anonymity. “If primaries are replaced with selections, it kills the spirit of fairness and disenfranchises grassroots members.” Others, however, view Ogbara’s influence as a natural outcome of her political clout.
Sources suggest that Hon. KAFILAT Ogbara’s selection of a female candidate for the LCDA chairmanship aligns with her bias and efforts to promote gender diversity in local leadership, though the lack of a transparent primary process has drawn criticism.
The alleged voice note has also reignited concerns about vote buying and candidate imposition in APC primaries, issues that have plagued the party in recent years.
The plot to declare Ward D and Ward G councillorship aspirants loyal to the House of Representatives member as winners of primaries, in the presence of electoral umpires, without a transparent electoral process, could give them a strategic edge over other aspirants but risks undermining democratic fairness and party guidelines. In many electoral systems, such as Nigeria’s, councillorship candidates are selected through direct primaries where party members vote, as mandated by laws like the Electoral Act 2022. Bypassing this process to favor specific aspirants might lead to disputes, allegations of imposition, or legal challenges, as seen in past cases like the Lagos APC primaries where aspirants protested irregularities. While a consensus approach could be an alternative, it must align with party constitutions and electoral laws to maintain credibility and avoid disenfranchising other candidates or party members.
As of press time, neither Hon. Olowe nor Hon. Ogbara has publicly responded to the allegations. Efforts to verify the authenticity of the voice note or identify the female candidate reportedly chosen for the LCDA chairmanship were unsuccessful, many suggests that it’s no other person than Mrs Adetola Abubakar, daughter of Agboyi-Ketu APC chieftain, Chief Stephen Oyedele . The APC Lagos State chapter has remained silent on this matter, leaving residents and party members awaiting clarity.
The controversy threatens to deepen divisions within the APC in Agboyi-Ketu, a key constituency in Kosofe politics. With local council elections on the horizon, the party faces mounting pressure to address allegations of undemocratic practices and restore confidence among its rank-and-file members. For now, the people of Owode-Onirin and Agboyi-Ketu await answers, as the fallout from the alleged voice note continues to reverberate across the LCDA.
