Lagos Council Election: Agege Vice Chairman Abiola Steps Down, Protests Erupt in Ojokoro Over Alleged Candidate Imposition

The political landscape in Lagos State is heating up ahead of the July 12, 2025 local government Council elections, with significant developments emerging in Agege and Ojokoro. While Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government, Mr. Oluwagbenga Abiola, has voluntarily withdrawn his ambition to contest the chairmanship seat, protests have erupted in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) over alleged imposition of candidates.

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Abiola Steps Aside for Speaker Obasa’s Son in Agege

In a surprising but calculated political move, Mr. Oluwagbenga Abiola announced on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the Agege chairmanship race to support Abdulganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa. Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abiola clarified that his decision was not coerced but made out of loyalty and deep respect for the Speaker, who he credited with shaping his political career.

“I will never go against my leader, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa. This is the man who made me,” Abiola said. He recounted his political journey under the Speaker’s mentorship—from being appointed Special Assistant on Media in 2015, to Sole Administrator in 2016, Secretary to the Local Government in 2017, and Vice Chairman in 2021.

While admitting he had initially aspired to the top job in the council, Abiola emphasized that his respect for the party’s consensus and Speaker Obasa’s leadership prevailed. “The party has spoken, and I fully agree,” he noted. “Leaders and stakeholders have united. They’ve asked the Speaker to allow his son to contest, and I support that.”

Abiola also pledged continued service to the party and his community, expressing confidence that greater opportunities lie ahead. He has directed members of his political group, the Obasa Youth Alliance, to rally behind the Speaker’s son in the election.

Ojokoro Boils Over Alleged Candidate Imposition

While the situation in Agege appears settled, tension is rising in Ojokoro LCDA, where aggrieved APC members took to the streets on Tuesday to protest what they described as the imposition of a “stranger” as the party’s chairmanship candidate. The protest followed similar outrage expressed at a stakeholders’ meeting held on April 14, which ended in disarray.

Dozens of party members, including loyalists of various chairmanship aspirants, stormed the APC secretariat and later marched to the council headquarters, chanting slogans such as “No room for strangers,” “Don’t sell Ojokoro,” and “We demand a free and fair process.” Protesters carried placards reading: “We don’t want it, we don’t like it,” “No imposition,” and “Hon. Ojelabi, save APC Ojokoro.”

Speaking to NAN, one protest leader, Mr. Olusegun Akinoso-Olawaye, called on party leaders to abandon any plans to ratify imposed candidates. He emphasized the importance of internal party democracy, stating, “All aspirants must be allowed to test their popularity in a fair primary. You can’t place a leader on the people.”

Referencing President Bola Tinubu’s journey through party primaries to emerge as APC’s presidential candidate, Akinoso-Olawaye insisted that the same democratic principles must apply at the grassroots level.

Another protester, Mrs. Raimot Bello, warned that installing an unfamiliar figure as chairman would alienate loyal party members and harm the APC’s chances in the coming election. Others, like Alhaji Karimu Yusuf and Prophet Kayode, echoed the concerns, alleging that certain APC leaders were pushing for a candidate disconnected from the community.

Party Leadership Responds to Protests

Responding to the unrest, the Chairman of Ojokoro LCDA, Mr. Hammed Tijani, praised the demonstrators for their peaceful conduct and reassured them that no candidate would be imposed. “There is nothing like imposition. Meetings are still ongoing. We are all APC members, and the party will not be destroyed,” he said.

Mr. Jelili Oseni, APC Chairman in Ojokoro, also addressed the crowd, urging calm and reaffirming the party’s commitment to fairness. “Those who have worked for the party will be rewarded. There is no imposition here,” he declared.

Among the stakeholders present during the protest were former Lagos Assembly member Mr. Ipoola Omisore and ex-House of Representatives member Mr. James Owolabi, both of whom observed proceedings as tensions simmered.

As the July 12 council elections draw nearer, all eyes are on Lagos APC to see how it handles the delicate balance of party loyalty, internal democracy, and community representation—especially in areas like Agege and Ojokoro, where the stakes are high and political sentiments are deeply rooted.