A fresh wave of crisis has hit the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as members of the State Executive Committee on Tuesday night accused the party’s State Chairman, Mr King Okuneye, of allegedly tampering with the outcomes of the party’s primaries.
The Deputy Chairman, Mr Akinwande Osikominu, made the allegation while addressing journalists after an emergency meeting of some executive members held in Ikeja.
Osikominu said the chairman had been running the affairs of the party in a non-transparent manner, taking critical decisions without consulting other executive members.
He warned that such conduct had widened internal cracks within the party and could jeopardise its electoral prospects.
According to him, tensions peaked during the conduct of the party primaries.
He further alleged that the State Executive Committee was never briefed about the existence of a parallel election committee reportedly constituted by the national leadership.
“Most embarrassingly, the State Exco was kept completely in the dark about the establishment of any parallel election committee by the National Body.
“We only learned of its existence during collation. This level of secrecy and exclusion sidelined the entire Executive Committee, leaving us humiliated and eroding trust in the leadership,” he said.
The deputy chairman also accused the party chairman of disregarding collective resolutions reached by the leadership.
“The Chairman stands accused of unilaterally altering election reports and results that were previously agreed upon through collaborative processes.
“This breach has further fractured internal cohesion and deepened the sense of exclusion felt by the State Exco.
“We are convinced that these persistent issues will make it extremely difficult for the NDC to mount any meaningful challenge in forthcoming elections unless urgently addressed,” he said.
Osikominu also expressed concern over what he described as the chairman’s long absence from the state, which he said had created a leadership gap.
He maintained that effective leadership required consistent physical presence and engagement with party structures across Lagos.
“King Okuneye has been resident outside Lagos State for several years.
“This prolonged physical absence has created a significant operational disconnect, impairing his ability to understand and respond to the unique dynamics, challenges and opportunities in Lagos.
“The resulting leadership vacuum continues to weaken grassroots coordination and threatens the party’s overall viability in the state,” he added.
He further alleged that the chairman had failed to release and authenticate a genuine list of local government executives, leading to confusion and parallel claims of leadership in several councils.
On financial management, Osikominu accused the leadership of lacking transparency, alleging that party funds were diverted into private accounts without proper accountability.
“Multiple aspirants have lodged consistent and verifiable complaints about exorbitant demands for funds to influence outcomes, secure favourable reports or gain access to party processes.
“Party funds are routinely channelled into the Chairman’s personal accounts and other unofficial channels, with zero disclosure, no audits and no accountability.
“The state treasurer has been rendered completely redundant since inauguration, with no visibility into inflows or outflows,” he said.
He also alleged that the state secretariat had been abandoned, with official activities now frequently held in hotels, lounges, and business centres instead of the party office.
Despite the concerns raised, Osikominu reaffirmed loyalty to the party’s national leadership and called for urgent intervention.
He urged the National Executive Committee to investigate the allegations and restore transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability within the Lagos structure.
Also speaking, Mr Oluwanifemi Elegbede, the NDC State Youth Leader, called on the national leadership of the party not to sleep on the party’s state of affairs in the state.
Mrs Juliet Ojudu, the State Welfare Officer, stressed that if the party hoped to secure victory in 2027, the outcome of its primaries must not be interfered with by any faction.
“Many party members across the state are unhappy with the situation. What we are witnessing is generating frustration and discontent among loyal members who have worked hard to build the party,” Ojudu said.
Pastor Emmanuel Okibie, Chairman of the NDC in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, also expressed concern over alleged attempts to overturn the outcome of the House of Representatives primary in his constituency.
“It is painful that after all the effort we put into strengthening the party and identifying a candidate capable of winning the election, there are attempts to undermine the outcome of a process that was transparently conducted.
“What we reject is any attempt to impose a candidate who lacks the support of the grassroots.
“Our efforts should not be rendered meaningless by attempts to impose individuals who did not emerge through a credible process,” Okibie said.
Other state executive committee members present at the briefing include Betty Nwadike (Vice Chairman, Centra), Olushile Akinyemi (Publicity Secretary), Chioma Ifeanyichukwu (Assistant Welfare Secretary), John Mabayomije (Treasurer), and Osita Odobor (Assistant Treasurer).
Others are Mrs Jaiyeola Taiwo (Woman Leader) as well as some ex-officio members, local government council chairmen, aspirants, and other party members.
