The build-up to the July 12 local government elections in Lagos State is already stirring political tension, with Agege and Ojokoro emerging as hotspots in the unfolding drama.
EpeInsights gathered that in Agege, the Vice Chairman of the Local Government, Mr. Oluwagbenga Abiola, has officially withdrawn from the race for the council chairmanship, throwing his weight behind Abdulganiyu Obasa, the son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
Abiola, a long-time political ally and protégé of the Speaker, announced his decision on Wednesday, stating that his loyalty to Obasa and the party structure supersedes personal ambition.
Denying being pressured to step aside, he said, “This is a conscious decision. Obasa made me, and I owe him everything politically.”
The move followed a request by key stakeholders in Agege, urging the Speaker to allow his son contest the chairmanship, citing the Speaker’s vast contributions to the community.
“I trust my leader. Greater opportunities lie ahead. I’m still young and committed to serving,” Abiola added, also directing his political support group, the Obasa Youth Alliance, to rally behind the Speaker’s son.
While Agege seems to be consolidating around a consensus candidate, the story is different in Ojokoro LCDA, where tension flared as APC members staged a protest on Tuesday against what they described as the imposition of “stranger” candidates.
Chanting “No room for strangers” and wielding placards with messages like “We want an indigenous leader, not a stranger,” and “No imposition, Obasa is forcing it on us,” the protesters demanded a fair and open primary process.
One of the protest leaders, Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, criticized party leadership for sidelining loyal aspirants who had invested years of service and personal resources into building the party at the grassroots.
“Let the field be open. If President Tinubu could go through primaries, so can our local aspirants,” he said, warning against disenfranchisement in the name of loyalty politics.
Ojokoro LCDA Chairman, Mr. Hammed Tijani, attempted to calm the situation, assuring protesters that “there will be no imposition” and that discussions were still ongoing. The APC Chairman in the council, Mr. Jelili Oseni, also promised that every party loyalist would be treated fairly.
As both LGAs grapple with different forms of political realignment and tension, the July elections are shaping up to be not only a test of party unity but also of the APC’s ability to balance influence, loyalty, and grassroots sentiment in Lagos State’s ever-dynamic political theatre.
