The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Ganiyu Egunjobi, has openly declared his support for Abdulganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for the upcoming local government elections.
Egunjobi made the statement during a media chat with selected journalists in Lagos, stating that Abdulganiyu is qualified and deserves to take over from him. The local government elections are scheduled to hold on July 12, and the APC primaries conducted on May 10 sparked debates and protests in Agege and Orile-Agege.
Egunjobi dismissed allegations of favoritism and manipulation in the APC’s primary process. “I think the reactions in those quarters where they are shouting ‘imposition’ is in the character of politicians in our clime,” he said. “I’m sure if the results had gone their way, they would be lavishing praise on the electoral process.”
He said the APC’s election committee did a commendable job and noted that the state party leadership deserves credit for organizing a peaceful primary election across local councils.
Some APC members staged protests, accusing Speaker Obasa of influencing the primary to ensure his allies and family members got tickets. The inclusion of his son, Abdulganiyu, especially stirred controversy.
Egunjobi, however, waved off the protest as a staged event. “I watched the video of the so-called protest and I was amazed to see those who led it. A political neophyte, who is a charge-and-bail lawyer, anchored it,” he said.
He also questioned the legitimacy of certain aspirants challenging the results, naming Sola Osolana and Bukola Sofidiya as recent returnees to the party who he believes lack the right to contest. He suggested that their backing comes from outside interests, mentioning a senator from Ogun State and a former lawmaker without giving names.
On Abdulganiyu Obasa’s qualifications, Egunjobi said: “This is someone that is well-read, a PhD student for that matter, who has been touching lives in Agege long before now. In fact, he deserves to succeed me.”
He noted that comparisons to political families in Nigeria and abroad are valid, arguing that leadership should be based on merit, not family name.
As his own time in office winds down, Egunjobi listed several achievements including road construction, upgraded health centres, improvements in public schools, job creation efforts, and a deradicalisation initiative for street youths.
“We built a CBT centre for JAMB candidates, upgraded our vocational training institute, and even created a deradicalisation programme for louts post-EndSARS,” he said.
He added that over 700 local staff, including those under the security scheme ‘Paramole’, are being paid stipends to maintain order in the community.
On tribal divisions in Agege politics, especially the Awori vs non-indigene debate, Egunjobi dismissed it as meaningless. “We are all born and bred in Agege. Come to think of it, no Awori person in Agege is more Agege than me. The dichotomy doesn’t hold water and is inconsequential,” he concluded.
