By Efe Onodjae 

A political group in Bariga, Somolu Constituency II of Lagos State has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to restore what it described as the mandate of the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Hon. Samuel Olufemi Apata, following the party’s recently concluded primary election.

In a press statement made available to journalists, the group maintained that Apata, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Somolu Constituency II, secured the highest number of votes in the primary election and should therefore be recognised as the rightful winner of the exercise.

The group noted that Apata, who is serving his first term in the Assembly, sought re-election in line with the party’s tradition of allowing performing lawmakers who have completed one term to seek a second mandate.

According to the statement, the lawmaker contested the primary alongside other aspirants, including Tolu Ebun, Alli Balogun, Adeoye Mayowa Atura and Aderunji Abiola Oriade.

The group further claimed that during one of Apata’s empowerment programmes, a chieftain of the party, Senator Anthony Adefuye, reiterated support for lawmakers seeking a second term, adding that over 1,350 beneficiaries at the event endorsed another APC candidate, Kolade Alabi David, for the House of Representatives while also backing Apata’s return to the Assembly.

Providing what it described as the official results from wards in Somolu Constituency II, the group stated that Apata polled 9,081 votes to defeat his closest rivals. According to the figures released, Atura secured 814 votes, while Alli Balogun garnered 677 votes. Other contenders were recorded as having no votes in the results presented by the group.

A breakdown of the votes showed that Apata reportedly won across all the wards listed in the statement, recording his highest tally in Ward K, where he polled 3,385 votes, followed by Ward L with 2,237 votes.

The group expressed surprise over developments that followed the primary election, insisting that the outcome did not reflect the votes allegedly cast by party members during the exercise held on May 20.

“It is glaring from the above results that Hon. Samuel Olufemi Apata, having secured the highest number of votes, won the election. We do not want a situation where somebody who came a distant third would be declared winner,” the statement read.

The stakeholders also urged the APC leadership to intervene in the matter and ensure that the will of party members in Somolu Constituency II is respected ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

They argued that restoring Apata’s mandate would promote party unity and strengthen the APC’s electoral fortunes in the constituency.

The group consequently appealed to the appropriate organs of the party to thoroughly review the outcome of the primary and uphold what it described as the democratic choice of party members in Bariga and Somolu Constituency II.

As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership had not issued an official response to the claims contained in the statement. Likewise, the other aspirants mentioned in the dispute had yet to publicly react to the allegations.