A wave of anger and protests has swept through the Badagry Local Government Area following what party members and residents describe as an outrageous case of forgery, imposition, and political manipulation.
The protests, led by aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and concerned community members, are in reaction to the alleged substitution of Abraham Rebecca Abidemi, the widely accepted female consensus and primary winner, with Oketoba Senami, who reportedly came second in both stages of the selection process.
According to documents and testimonies obtained by Lagos Reporters, Abraham Rebecca Abidemi emerged as the consensus candidate after securing a majority of stakeholder votes—13 to 7 against Oketoba Senami. This was further confirmed during the official APC councillorship primary election, where Abidemi won again with 16 votes to 7.
Despite this clear victory, party members were shocked to discover that Abidemi’s name was replaced with Oketoba Senami’s in the final submission—allegedly orchestrated by Emmanuel-Sunday Kappo, who currently serves as Commissioner II at the Lagos State Audit Service Commission.
The development has sparked outrage, with protesters accusing Kappo of abusing his office to force an unpopular candidate on the people. Chants of “Justice for Rebecca!” echoed through the streets of Badagry as placard-carrying demonstrators demanded the immediate restoration of Abidemi’s mandate.
“She won fair and square—both by consensus and at the primaries,” said one local APC executive. “This is nothing but political robbery. We will not accept it.”
Party stakeholders, including the Executive Chairman of the Local Government and ward executives, had earlier endorsed and signed documents affirming Abidemi as the chosen candidate. Her popularity and capacity were proven through democratic processes, supporters argue.
Residents and party members have vowed to sustain the protests until the party hierarchy corrects what they see as an “injustice and threat to internal democracy.”
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