The executive chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Lagos State, Ganiyu Egunjobi, has publicly endorsed Abdulganiyu Obasa, son of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming council elections. Egunjobi declared that the younger Obasa “deserves to succeed me,” adding his voice to the growing debate surrounding the May 10 APC primaries.
In an interview with select journalists, Egunjobi addressed the controversy trailing the primaries, dismissing allegations of imposition and defending the legitimacy of the candidate selection process across the state.
“I think the reactions in those quarters where they are shouting ‘imposition’ are in the character of politicians in our clime,” Vanguard quoted him as saying on Friday. “I’m sure if the results had gone their way, they would be lavishing praise on the electoral process. The election committee put up a good show and should be commended, the same with the leadership of the party in the state.”
Protests had erupted in Agege and Orile-Agege, with some APC members accusing Speaker Obasa of influencing the primaries to install loyalists and family members—most notably his son, Abdulganiyu—as flagbearers for the July 12 council elections.
But Egunjobi dismissed the protests as theatrics orchestrated by political opportunists.
“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. “For your information, this man until recently was gushing about the Speaker, thinking singing the praise of Obasa would get him the party chairmanship ticket for Orile-Agege.”
Egunjobi also downplayed the credibility of some aggrieved aspirants, including Sola Osolana and Bukola Sofidiya, stating they had only recently rejoined the APC and lacked both the moral and constitutional backing to vie for party tickets.
“We know some of their paymasters in the persons of a certain serving senator from Ogun State and a three-time House of Assembly member in our area, to mention but a few,” he said, without offering specific names.
On the candidacy of Speaker Obasa’s son—who is reportedly running for vice-chairman in Agege—Egunjobi offered a strong defense, describing Abdulganiyu as well-qualified and already a visible contributor to the community.
“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,” Egunjobi declared. “People blabbing ‘imposition’ in respect of the Speaker’s son’s matter are not fair to the young man and Agege.”
Reflecting on his tenure, which concludes in about two months, Egunjobi highlighted achievements such as road construction, establishment of health centres, upgrades to public school infrastructure, vocational training initiatives, and youth empowerment programmes.
“We built a CBT center for JAMB candidates, upgraded our vocational training institute, and even created a deradicalization program for louts post-EndSARS,” he said. “Over 700 staff, including security personnel under ‘Paramole,’ are on our payroll, receiving stipends to maintain peace and order.”
When asked about the recurring Awori versus non-indigene sentiment in Agege politics, Egunjobi firmly rejected identity-based divisions.
“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.
