The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared 432 aspirants to contest in its May 10 chairmanship primaries ahead of the July 12 local government elections.

This follows a week-long screening exercise conducted between April 29 and May 3 at the party’s state secretariat in Ogba, where 470 aspirants were vetted. A total of 38 were either disqualified or voluntarily withdrew from the race.

Among those who stepped down was Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa, son of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa. His withdrawal reportedly came after the intervention of APC National Leader and President Bola Tinubu.

Chairman of the screening committee, Babatunde Ogala, described the process as “thorough, rigorous and challenging,” noting that all cleared aspirants “are capable of delivering good governance at the grassroots.”

He added, “We followed the party’s guidelines strictly. The appeals window remains open until May 5 for those disqualified.”

The major grounds for disqualification included absence of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), missing APC membership cards, and certificate irregularities—particularly at the secondary school level.

The APC primaries will use an indirect mode of selection, involving delegates from the executive arms of the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

Ogala’s committee will also oversee all pre-election activities in these areas.

Out of the 470 screened aspirants, 411 were male and 59 female—a development the party says reflects increasing gender inclusion in grassroots politics.

Disqualified aspirants can submit appeals until May 5, while post-primary petitions will be accepted from May 12 to 13.