As controversy continues to trail the weekend’s primary election of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to pick candidates for the forthcoming council poll, party faithful in Bariga and Somolu have decried the exercise.

Speaking under the umbrella of Concerned Stakeholders, they are demanding the cancellation of “the fractious exercise”, while seeking the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

In a press statement, the protesting party members listed multiple reasons for demanding the cancellation, claiming that the exercise was skewed to achieve a pre-determined outcome.

The statement signed by Aisha Lawal and David Balogun on behalf of others, reads in part: “We demand that the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Working Committee (NWC), and the Lagos State APC leadership immediately investigate this travesty and cancel the compromised elections in Somolu Local Government and Bariga LCDA.”

The protesters also alleged over-voting and other electoral malfeasances in driving their demands, which include immediate cancellation of the exercise and commencement of disciplinary actions against those allegedly behind the issues raised against the exercise.

“We reject the outcome of the Bariga and Somolu APC chairmanship primaries in totality.

“We declare that Bariga and Somolu do not have authentic chairmanship candidates as the process that produced them was fraudulent, monetized, and manipulated.

“We assert that no amount of intimidation, manipulation, or rigging will force us to support unpopular, imposed candidates.

“We affirm that the political leadership in Bariga has unanimously endorsed Hon. Babatunde Adesida as the authentic chairman, and until this daylight robbery is reversed, we shall remain peaceful but firm in our resistance.

“We call on respected leaders such as Senator Anthony Adefuye, Senator Abiru, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, Hon. Adeyemi Oluwole, and other true democrats to rise and defend the integrity of our party,” demanded.