How Obasa’s loyalists lost Lagos Assembly APC return tickets

Some strong loyalists of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt (Hon) Mudashiru Obasa, lost out in the just concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that is shocking to political observers in the state.

Some of the loyalists, unfortunately were said to have relied heavily on the speaker for their return tickets to the House of Assembly in 2023.

A member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), who spoke with WesternPost, but did not want his name mentioned, said the assembly members lost due to their loyalty to Obasa rather than the party leaders and their constituents.

The GAC member said that the losers were arrogant and lived the political life of alienation from their constituency leaders with the believe that their loyalty to Obasa would earn them return tickets.

“Some of them don’t even attend constituency meetings in their own local governments. They keep maligning the GAC and the apex leaders in their constituencies. How can you be representing us and still not in good relationship with us? They have forgotten that they would still need these leaders for whatever they would get in the party. Obasa cannot dictate who would get the party’s ticket in my constituency and likewise other constituencies except his Agege constituency where he is a GAC representative,” the GAC member said.

WesternPost reports that the party in Lagos State held its House of Assembly primaries across the 40 constituencies on Friday.

In Ojo constituency 1, Obasa’s loyalist who was seeking re-election, Hon. Victor Akande lost to Ege Olusegun who according to sources had the backing of the two council chairmen and the former Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule.

Olusegun defeated Akande with four votes. A reliable source in the constituency informed WesternPost that Akande’s defeat was a message to Obasa from the constituency’s party members and leaders who are not in good terms with the Speaker.

In Oshodi/Isolo constituency 2, Hon. Jude Idimogwu is known to be Obasa’s diehard fan and loyalist who frequently shows this both on social media platforms and in his constituency. He went further to launch Obasa Movement in the constituency to show he was out fully in support of the Speaker and also as a way of ensuring that his return ticket for the third term was guaranteed.

However, all these did not pay off for him during Friday’s primaries as he lost gallantly to the son of the former state chairman of the party, Ladi Ajomale. Ajomole polled 30 while Idimogwu polled zero.

Mojisolaoluwa Alli-Macaulay is another loser who is a strong loyalist of Obasa. Alli-Macaulay is a first term lawmaker from Amuwo-Odofin 1 whose political journey seems to have been cut short by the primaries defeat. She lost to Folorunsho Olaitan Olusegun, her strong opponent since 2019. Olusegun defeated Alli-Macaulay with a wide margin of 8 votes. Olusegun polled 12 while Alli-Macaulay got 4 votes.

Another big blow on Obasa, is the loss of his crony in Oshodi/Isolo constituency 1, Hon. Hakeem Sokunle who was defeated by Mr Stephen Ogundipe, an ally of the Chairman of Lagos State Park and Gardens Authority, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) and has been a serial contestant for the same position. Sokunle polled 4 votes while Ogundipe polled 25 votes.

Fatai Oluwa was not left out in the tsunami that consumed Obasa’s loyalists. Like his colleagues who clung to Obasa for political survival, he lost the APC ticket in Ajeromi/Ifelodun constituency 2.

Oluwa was beaten by his cousin, Sabor Oluwa, who is the son of a member of GAC, Alhaji Rabiu Oluwa to clinch the ticket. Fatai Oluwa is still perceived by some members and leaders of the party in Ajeromi/Ifelodun as a PDP man who only benefitted from the freebies of 2019 directive of the APC.

In Mushin constituency 11, a strong ally and loyalist of Obasa, Hon. AbdulSobur Olawale Olayiwola (Omititi) was defeated by an associate of Senator Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon (GOS), Mr Yinka Esho. Esho defeated Olayiwola without rancor.

Lanre Afinni from Lagos Island 2 was defeated by his predecessor, Sola Giwa who was never in the good books of Obasa in the 8th Assembly because of his ties with the Deputy Speaker now APC Lagos Central Senatorial district candidate, Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni. Afinni is a first term lawmaker but a strong loyalist of Obasa.

Like some of his colleagues, Afinni’s loyalty to Obasa is unshaken and he believed that the speaker would use his membership of the GAC to lobby for his return ticket, but the permutation failed.

In Ifako/Ijaiye constituency 2, Rasheed Makinde, a second term lawmaker and ally of Obasa had his third term bid truncated by the emergence of Olotu Emmanuel. To show his constant loyalty to Obasa, Makinde would not make contributions to motions and bills during plenary session without praise-singing Obasa for his leadership style and prowess even if the issue in deliberation had nothing to do with the speaker.

Despite his loyalty and believe that Obasa would influence his third term ticket, Olotu Emmanuel defeated him hands down. WesternPost gathered that his third term bid had hit brick wall since last year as many members and leaders of the APC in his constituency were uncomfortable with how he abandoned those who had been his backers since 2015.

Folajimi Lai-Mohammed, son of the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and another loyalist of Obasa lost to Seyi Lawal, a political son of the Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Tayo Ayinde.

Before the primaries, the third term bid of Lai- Mohammed had hit brick wall as some youths from his constituency (Ikeja 1) protested against any plan to impose him. The youths argued that the second term lawmaker was not living in the constituency and that he distanced himself from the leaders and party members.

In Ikorodu 2, Saka Solaja, another strong loyalist of Obasa, lost to Aro Moshood Abiodun, an aspirant backed by the GAC leaders from Ikorodu Division. Abiodun defeated Solaja with 2 votes having polled 20 votes while Solaja polled scored 18 votes. Solaja, it was gathered by WesternPost is still pressing and reaching out to party leaders to see if he could still get the ticket. It was also gathered that he had sent petition to the party leadership in the state.

The Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, although not an open loyalist of Obasa, also lost at the primaries to the son of the former deputy governor and member of the GAC, Alhaji Abiodun Ogunleye, Gbolahon Ogunleye.

Ogunleye polled 38 votes while Agunbiade scored zero with other aspirants having lower scores. Agunbiade’s fifth term bid to represent Ikorodu constituency 1 may have hit the rock since 2020 when his political godfather, Sen. Bayo Osinowo died.

WesternPost gathered that Agunbiade’s re-election in 2019 was a success because of the role played by late Osinowo because virtually all the leaders were against his fourth term bid.