Lagos APC backlash deepens as loyalists accuse Governor Sanwo-Olu of rewarding Obidients with key appointments and state-backed roles.
Backlash has erupted online as the ruling party’s loyalists in Lagos accuse Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the state leadership of rewarding opposition figures at the expense of committed supporters.
The controversy, which has dominated X (formerly Twitter) under the hashtag #APCBetrayalLagos, centres on allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress has granted strategic positions and state-backed projects to Obidients, supporters of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who continue to criticise the APC and its leadership.
The uproar intensified over the past week after reports surfaced of prominent Obidients leading government-backed tourism and empowerment initiatives supported by Idris Aregbe, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Many APC members viewed the move as a direct slight to those who campaigned tirelessly for the party during the 2023 elections and continued to defend the party.
“Sanwo-Olu and his crew are handing the reins to those still plotting our downfall,” wrote @OwolabiAbd15279, an APC loyalist from Lagos Mainland, in a post that drew hundreds of engagements.
Other party supporters, including youth leaders and grassroots coordinators, echoed similar sentiments.
“If the needful is not being done, the future of APC in Lagos is at risk,” warned @ona_ore, while @AOluwaseun_JO criticised the appointment of “someone who publicly campaigned against your boss.”
Several posts accused the governor of sidelining loyalists who “worked for the party to be elected” while rewarding “supporters who claimed APC was after their life.”
The grievances are not new.
In 2024, Sanwo-Olu faced backlash for reportedly prioritising non-indigene corps members in state benefits, a move his critics framed as ethnic insensitivity.
The renewed outrage, however, comes amid growing fears of an internal split within the Lagos APC as local elections approach in July 2026.
Sanwo-Olu’s aides have occasionally defended the governor, insisting that his inclusivity policies aim to reflect Lagos’ diversity.
Yet such explanations have done little to calm party faithfuls, who see his appointments as evidence of disloyalty to APC’s grassroots base.
One media aide’s attempt to dismiss “unscrupulous Obidient opportunists” backfired, further fuelling claims of disconnect between the government and its supporters.
Beyond the online uproar, discontent has deepened among long-standing APC members, including campaign financiers and local mobilisers, some of whom allege they have been neglected since the 2023 elections.
A trending post by @Asiwajuifee lamented, “I spent my personal funds working for Lagos APC, but Sanwo-Olu would rather reward those who insulted and worked against him.”
Observers warn that the backlash could undermine the party’s cohesion ahead of key electoral cycles if grievances remain unresolved.
Also read: NUJ Lagos slams Sanwo-Olu’s CSO over harassment of journalists
For many of the party’s digital foot soldiers, the message is blunt: loyalty without reward is betrayal without forgiveness.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
