Why Lagos Speaker's Preferred Candidate Lost in APC Assembly Primary

 

Oriontimes Political Desk| June 10, 2026

More details have emerged over the circumstances surrounding the defeat of the preferred candidate of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, in the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Agege Constituency I.

The primary election generated controversy after allegations surfaced that the results were manipulated in favour of Oluwagbenga Michael Abiola, who was declared the winner ahead of former Agege Local Government Chairman, Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi, widely regarded as Speaker Obasa's preferred aspirant.

Supporters of Egunjobi alleged that the outcome of the exercise did not reflect the will of party delegates, claiming that the results were altered to favour Abiola. However, the party has not officially confirmed the allegations.

Following the announcement of the results, scores of APC members and supporters from Agege staged a protest at the party's state secretariat in Ikeja, calling on the Lagos State Executive Committee and the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to review the outcome of the primary.

The protesters demanded what they described as transparency and fairness in the conduct of the exercise, insisting that the declared result should be revisited.

Party sources, however, attributed Egunjobi's defeat to internal political dynamics within the Lagos APC. According to the sources, some influential stakeholders were reportedly unwilling to back another aspirant perceived to be closely aligned with the Speaker's political camp.

The Speaker himself survived an impeachment from office last year when majority members of the Lagos State House of Assembly made a successful impeachment of Obasa, citing abuse of office and other weighty allegations. Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda was elected as the Speaker.

The extensive list of grievances cited by the lawmakers and political watchers leading to his removal includes: Financial Misconduct: He faced severe allegations of financial mismanagement, most notably the authorisation of ₦17 billion to build a gate for the assembly complex. 

Highhandedness: Fellow lawmakers accused him of acting like a dictator, wielding power to intimidate colleagues, and consistently acting with high-handedness. 

Disrupted Proceedings & Lateness: Members cited perpetual lateness to legislative sittings, which stalled the assembly's work. Lack of Transparency: He allegedly incited members against one another and consistently provided unsatisfactory answers when questioned by other lawmakers about his management of funds. 

Suppression of the Press: Together with his staunch ally, Assembly Clerk Olalekan Onafeko, Obasa was heavily blamed for banning journalists from covering the state assembly activities for over two years.

It was, however, President Bola Tinubu's intervention that stopped the already concluded process of the removal of the Speaker from office. He ordered that the House should maintain the status quo.

The Speaker's camp was also accused of influencing and imposing the son of Obasa, Ganiyu Venod Obasa, as the candidate of the APC in last year's local government election in Lagos State. Ganiyu Obasa, who was elected as the Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government, later became the substantive Chairman of the local government after the Chairman resigned due to health reasons.

The sources also linked the predicament in Obasa's camp to lingering political controversies surrounding a prominent APC chieftain in Agege, Chief Akinropo, who is a strong and close ally of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly. The chieftain has been the subject of allegations arising from a murder incident in 2023. Although no court has convicted him of any offence, party insiders claimed that the controversy has continued to generate political backlash, with opposition parties reportedly using the matter to criticise figures associated with Obasa's political structure.

According to the sources, Egunjobi's perceived closeness to Akinropo may have influenced the attitude of some party leaders during the primary.

Despite the protests by Obasa's supporters, party insiders said the chances of the APC National Working Committee overturning the primary result remain slim, noting that influential stakeholders within the party are believed to be backing the outcome already announced. They also believe that the time is now to reduce the influence and power of domination from the Speaker's camp.

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