The attention of Lagos APC has been drawn to the false accusation of sponsoring the disruption of an NDC political event held in Ikeja.
We consider this allegation not only reckless, baseless and irresponsible but also a desperate attempt to drag Lagos APC into an incident for which the accusers have presented no credible evidence linking the ruling party.
For the avoidance of doubt, Lagos APC categorically rejects any insinuation of involvement, direct or indirect, in the alleged disruption of the said political gathering. We have neither sponsored, encouraged nor participated in any act capable of undermining the constitutional rights of any political party or group to assemble, deliberate and canvass for political support.
It is, however, particularly curious that the purported incident reportedly occurred on the very day Lagos APC held the official flag-off of its campaign for the 2027 general elections in Epe, several kilometres away from Ikeja, where the alleged incident took place.
The entire APC political machinery in Lagos, without exception, was mobilised to Epe for this historic political engagement. Our leaders, elected representatives, party executives, campaign officials and critical stakeholders were fully committed to the success of that event. Against this background, it is inconceivable that a party engaged in such a significant statewide political mobilisation would abandon its own historic engagement to concern itself with the activities of a fringe political platform.
Indeed, as the ruling party in Lagos State, we have far more important responsibilities than being distracted by the activities of opposition parties. We are the biggest stakeholders in ensuring peaceful coexistence, political stability and the protection of democratic institutions in Lagos State in particular and Nigeria as a whole. We have no incentive whatsoever to sponsor or encourage any development capable of threatening these objectives.
Our position has always been that democratic competition must be guided by civility, tolerance, respect for the rule of law and the freedom of every political tendency to pursue its legitimate political interests. These principles are not negotiable, irrespective of political affiliation or ideological persuasion.
It is particularly unfortunate that rather than establish the facts surrounding an incident at its own gathering and identify those actually responsible, the NDC has chosen the familiar route of pointing accusing fingers at the ruling party. This is a lazy political reflex that substitutes propaganda for investigation and blame-shifting for accountability.
The fact that an incident occurred in Lagos, or that APC is the governing party in the state, does not automatically confer responsibility for every act of criminality or political misconduct on the ruling party. Such reasoning is intellectually dishonest and politically infantile.
If the NDC has credible evidence linking any individual or group to the incident, the appropriate course is to present such evidence to the relevant security agencies and allow the law to take its course. Serious criminal allegations should not be established through social media insinuations, emotional outbursts or politically convenient narratives.
We must also place on record that the recent incessant threats by opposition political elements to unleash violence and make the political atmosphere ungovernable have not gone unnoticed. While we remain committed to peaceful political engagement, our commitment to peace must never be mistaken for weakness or an unwillingness to defend democratic order. We refuse to be intimidated by threats, provocations or attempts to create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
Lagos APC has no need to resort to violence, intimidation or thuggery to participate in the democratic process. We believe in political persuasion, issue-based campaigns, grassroots mobilisation and the ballot box. Our commitment is to an environment where every political party can freely organise, campaign, mobilise and seek the support of the electorate without fear or intimidation.
We therefore call on the Lagos State Police Command, the Department of State Services and other relevant law enforcement agencies to rise to their constitutional responsibilities. They must not wait until threats of violence translate into actual breaches of public peace before taking action. Intelligence gathering, proactive security measures, impartial investigations and the prosecution of offenders are essential to forestalling any threat to our nascent democracy.
We particularly urge the security agencies to take seriously the increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from certain opposition quarters and ensure that no individual or political organisation is allowed to hold the state or its residents to ransom through threats of violence.
Political ambition is not a licence for lawlessness. Opposition politics must not become an excuse for the normalisation of intimidation, disorder and the subversion of democratic institutions.
Lagos APC condemns political violence in all its forms and remains committed to peaceful coexistence, democratic competition and the rule of law. We will continue to focus on governance, development and the delivery of democratic dividends to the good people of Lagos State.
The NDC should stop looking for convenient scapegoats and take responsibility for its own political environment. Lagos APC has a state to govern, a campaign to prosecute and a democratic mandate to defend. We will not be distracted, intimidated or drawn into manufactured controversies.
Mogaji (Hon.) Seye Oladejo
Lagos State APC Spokesman
12/11/26
