By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Political tension is mounting in Oworonshoki, Ward A of Kosofe Local Government Area, following a public petition challenging the emergence of Mrs. Uyamogba Christiana Ebere Kuboye as the consensus councillorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The petition, dated May 10, 2025, was issued by a community advocacy group under the banner Community Eye. The group condemned what it termed the “imposition” of a non-indigenous candidate, alleging that the selection process sidelined qualified indigenous aspirants and undermined the Yoruba cultural identity of the ward.
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While acknowledging the APC’s efforts to promote gender inclusion, the group maintained that representation should reflect the community’s linguistic and cultural heritage. “Oworonshoki deserves a representative who speaks its language, shares its culture, and lives its everyday reality,” the petition stated.
The group called on the Lagos State APC leadership, traditional rulers, and party elders to revisit the decision in the interest of fairness and political unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In response, a counter-statement released on May 18 by a coalition named Concerned Stakeholders for Unity and Progress defended Mrs. Kuboye’s candidacy. The group emphasized that although Kuboye hails from Ondo State by ancestry, she was born and raised in Lagos and has long been an active resident of Oworonshoki.
They described her as a committed community advocate whose civic engagements align with the APC’s principles of inclusivity and youth participation. “To deny a Lagos-born resident the right to run based solely on ancestral origin is contrary to the spirit of democracy,” the group said.
The coalition urged residents to uphold unity and avoid ethnic tensions, warning that exclusionary rhetoric could fracture the ward’s longstanding culture of diversity and inclusion.
As the controversy unfolds, attention is now fixed on the Lagos APC leadership and traditional authorities in Kosofe, who are under increasing pressure to clarify the party’s position and mediate the growing unrest.
The outcome of this dispute could significantly influence the APC’s grassroots cohesion and electoral strength in the lead-up to the next political cycle.