Agege Politics Takes New Turn as APC Expels Egunjobi, Ninalowo
Kehinde Adeleye
Agege politics has taken a different turn following the expulsion of former Agege Local Government Chairman, Ganiyu Kolawole Egunjobi, and Azeez Oladapo Yusuf, popularly known as Ninalowo, from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The development has added a new dimension to the political contest in Agege ahead of the 2027 Lagos State House of Assembly election, coming after the duo left the APC and emerged as candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, for Agege Constituencies I and II respectively.
Egunjobi and Ninalowo have been identified in reports as politicians aligned with the political camp of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa. However, the two politicians have rejected claims that Obasa influenced their decision to leave the APC, insisting that their move to the APM was taken independently.
The Lagos State APC announced their expulsion on Wednesday through a statement by the party chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
According to the party, Egunjobi and Yusuf were expelled over alleged anti party activities, disloyalty and conduct it said was contrary to the discipline and integrity of the party.
Both men had contested the APC nomination process for Agege Constituencies I and II but did not secure the party’s tickets. They subsequently obtained the APM tickets to continue their respective bids for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The APC said it invoked Article 9(5)(II) of its constitution, as amended in 2022, in taking disciplinary action against the two former members.
Ojelabi said the party expected members who participated in its nomination process to respect the outcome or seek redress through established internal mechanisms rather than move to another political party within the same electoral cycle.
The Lagos APC consequently declared that Egunjobi and Yusuf were no longer members of the party and warned that neither had authority to represent or transact business on behalf of the APC.
The expulsion followed weeks of political disagreement over the APC’s candidates for the two Agege constituencies.
Egunjobi had contested for the Agege Constituency I ticket, while Ninalowo contested for Constituency II. Reports said both disputed the eventual outcome of the nomination process before moving to the APM.
In their response to reports linking their defection to Obasa, the duo said the Speaker had no involvement in their decision to leave the APC.
They said they had initially remained within the party while seeking redress over what they described as grievances surrounding the primaries, but eventually decided to pursue their political ambitions under the APM platform.
The latest development now places the political contest in Agege in a new phase, with Egunjobi and Ninalowo seeking election under the APM while the APC proceeds with its own candidates for the two constituencies.
The situation is expected to remain a significant talking point in Agege as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 Lagos State House of Assembly election.
