Lagos Tightens Security Ahead Of Festivities

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday met with security chiefs in the state to review security operations and strengthen measures ahead

of an expected surge in various forms of activities and engagements in Lagos in the coming months.

The meeting, held at the State House, Marina, focused on security activities and plans to reinforce the security apparatus, as the state prepares for an

influx of visitors, end-of-year festivities and increased political activity.

Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance that his administration would sustain efforts to prevent criminal activities and protect lives and property across the state.

Sanwo-Olu said, “We will not relent on our efforts to ensure that criminals don’t find a place for their evil activities in our state.”

The meeting comes as Lagos prepares to host President Bola Tinubu from Tuesday, while several religious, cultural and social activities are expected to

take place in the state during the festive period.

The state government also noted that political activities were beginning to intensify following the announcement by the Independent National Electoral

Commission on the commencement of campaigns.

 

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Those at the meeting included the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai; Commander, 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Brig. Gen. A.O. Owolabi; Commander, Nigerian Navy

Ship Beecroft, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu; and Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore M.A. Imam.

The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Ayodele Ogunsan, also attended the meeting.

Others present were the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Tayo Ayinde; Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin; and Attorney-General and

Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro.

The governor said the state would continue to work with security agencies to maintain a secure environment.

  

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Again, Tokunbo Wahab And Rhodes-Vivour Clash Over Waste Management, Flooding In Lagos

    The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and the 2027 Lagos governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, have disagreed over the state government’s management of waste and flooding.

The disagreement followed Rhodes-Vivour’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, where he raised concerns about waste management and flooding in Lagos and described the state as “stinking.”

Responding to the concerns, Wahab said while some of Rhodes-Vivour’s concerns were legitimate, it was misleading to suggest that the Lagos State Government had no plan beyond clearing refuse after it accumulated.

Lagos generates an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily, Wahab said, adding that the Lagos Waste Management Authority and private sector participation operators evacuated approximately 418,500 tonnes of waste in May 2026 alone.

The commissioner said waste management was an interconnected system, explaining that delays at disposal facilities could affect truck turnaround, disrupt collection schedules and eventually lead to refuse accumulation in neighbourhoods.

“Waste management is an interconnected system. Delays at disposal facilities affect truck turnaround, disrupt collection schedules and eventually create refuse accumulation across neighbourhoods,” he said.

Wahab said the rehabilitation of Road E and additional disposal platforms at the Olusosun landfill had improved operational efficiency.

“Truck movements across disposal facilities rose to 1,866 in the week following the intervention, while Olusosun recorded an increase from 574 to 1,012 trips,” he said.

Beyond emergency interventions, he said the state was investing in Modern Transfer Loading Stations, Material Recovery Facilities, recycling, composting and the Epe waste-to-energy project.

“The objective is to transition from decades of pick-and-dump practices to a sustainable system where waste becomes a resource for energy and economic value,” Wahab said.

On data collection, the commissioner said, “The principle is straightforward: a modern waste management system must measure what it manages.”

 

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He said the government was strengthening property enumeration, geocoded service locations, GPS tracking, weighbridge measurements, collection records and recovery data.

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Wahab added that the government was also reforming the PSP system and would sanction or terminate operators where necessary.

He said the state needed to ask questions about the effectiveness of its waste management system, including whether every household had an assigned waste collector, whether operators were adequately equipped and whether scheduled collection routes were completed.

He also asked, “When residents complain, does anyone respond?”

Other questions, according to the commissioner, included whether collected waste was properly treated, recovered or disposed of and why emergency evacuation should become a substitute for reliable daily collection.

“These are questions government is answering with measurable performance, not political rhetoric,” he said.

Wahab also rejected the idea that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise should be regarded as a substitute for regular waste collection.

“The monthly environmental sanitation exercise is not a substitute for an effective waste management system.

“Government must provide reliable services, while residents and businesses must equally stop indiscriminate dumping into drains, road medians and public spaces,” he said.

He urged the public debate to move beyond descriptions of Lagos as “stinky” and focus on measurable outcomes.

“The conversation should therefore move beyond describing Lagos as ‘stinky’ and focus on measurable outcomes: tonnes collected, routes completed, missed collections, complaint resolution, recurring blackspots and waste diverted from landfills,” Wahab said.

He acknowledged that the state still had work to do but said it was inaccurate to suggest that no action was being taken.

“Lagos has significant work ahead, and we must acknowledge that honestly. But to suggest that nothing is being done ignores the investments, infrastructure and operational reforms already underway,” he said.

On flooding, Wahab said Rhodes-Vivour’s criticism had to be considered against Lagos’ coastal geography, tidal locks and the growing impact of climate change.

“As an architect, he should appreciate that even the most resilient drainage infrastructure cannot entirely eliminate flash flooding in a coastal megacity,” he said.

According to Wahab, the state had invested in drainage infrastructure, pump stations, year-round maintenance and flood abatement operations, while also undertaking wetland preservation and removing structures on floodplains.

He said the interventions had reportedly reduced flooding incidents by between 75 and 80 per cent statewide.

“It is therefore misleading to suggest that flooding is being ignored or that no meaningful progress has been made.

“While challenges remain, the evidence of sustained interventions must form part of the conversation,” Wahab said.

He added, “Flooding is a global coastal challenge, not one peculiar to Lagos.”

“The relevant question is not whether every flood can be prevented, but how effectively a city prepares, mitigates risks and protects its residents,” he said.

However, Rhodes-Vivour, in a response, criticised Wahab’s statement, saying it contained “lengthy explanations, with little by way of solutions.”

“Plenty of prose, very little results,” the ADC candidate said.

He argued that accumulated refuse was a major contributor to flooding, saying waste could be washed into drainage channels during rainfall even when residents did not deliberately dump it there.

“It might not be obvious to you and your principals, but most Lagosians and even foreigners can see it clear as day – REFUSE! GARBAGE! WASTE!

“If you’re not packing the refuse, it will stack up and be washed into the drainage by the rain. Citizens don’t even have to dump their refuse in the drains. The rain will do it for them,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

Rhodes-Vivour also questioned the density of roads and drainage infrastructure in the state.

“Do you have any idea how many roads (and therefore the accompanying drains) that Lagos State has per km² of land? I checked,” he said.

He claimed Lagos had 1.3 kilometres of roads per square kilometre of land, compared with 13.6 kilometres in Singapore.

“In case you’re wondering what this has to do with flooding – more drains means less water on the road surfaces,” he said.

Rhodes-Vivour proposed that the government clear existing drains and major drainage channels of waste, build more roads and drains and develop boardwalks or embankments along lagoon and river shorelines.

He also proposed the use of sluice gates and high-powered water pumps to regulate water levels inland of the gates.

“I’m merely putting out this information because these are just some of the pragmatic, practical measures @GRVlagos and I will implement to alleviate the perennial flooding problem,” he said.

Rhodes-Vivour also criticised the APC-led administration in Lagos, saying, “27 years of incompetence have shown us that your APC government is completely and unarguably incapable of implementing these simple measures.”

He concluded by calling on Lagos residents to work with his political platform to “Make Èkó Great Again.”

The exchange comes ahead of the 2027 Lagos governorship election, with waste management, flooding, traffic and other quality-of-life issues expected to feature prominently in the political campaign.

  

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Enyimba Record First Win As Lagos Rivals Draw

    Enyimba recorded their first victory of the Nigeria Premier Football League season in emphatic fashion, thrashing Shooting Stars 4-2, while Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City played out a goalless draw in their rescheduled Lagos derby on Wednesday.

The People’s Elephant produced an impressive attacking display at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, to claim all three points, while the two Lagos rivals settled for a share of the spoils at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

At Aba, Enyimba made their intentions clear from the opening minutes, taking the lead through Richard Ezinna in the seventh minute.

The hosts continued to press forward, and their persistence paid off in the 29th minute when Damian Chibueze doubled their advantage.

Shooting Stars struggled to contain Enyimba’s attacking threat; the hosts made the most of their opportunities as they sought to put the contest beyond the visitors.

The pressure continued to mount, and Idris Abubakar added a third goal in the 36th minute to leave Enyimba firmly in control before the break.

The Aba side wasted little time extending their advantage after the restart, as Ifeanyi Ihemekwele struck four minutes into the second half to make it 4-0.

 

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However, Shooting Stars mounted a late response, with Mustapha Adams Agba’a reducing the deficit in the 76th minute before Johnmark Aule scored in the 91st minute to make it 4-2.

The visitors’ late rally proved insufficient to deny Enyimba victory, as the hosts held on to secure their first win of the campaign.

The result will provide a significant boost for Enyimba, who will now look to build on the victory and establish consistency as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City were unable to produce a goal in their rescheduled derby at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

The encounter, which had earlier been postponed, ended 0-0, with neither side able to find the breakthrough in the battle for local bragging rights.

Both teams approached the fixture cautiously; the contest for midfield control limited attacking opportunities in the opening exchanges.

Sporting Lagos sought to dictate play through patient build-up and attacks down the flanks, but Ikorodu City’s defence remained organised, frustrating the hosts’ attempts to break through.

Ikorodu City also looked to threaten on the counter-attack, but Sporting Lagos held firm at the back to keep their opponents at bay.

The second half saw both sides search for a winning goal, with changes from the benches aimed at injecting fresh energy into the contest. However, neither team could make the decisive breakthrough.

The stalemate meant both clubs had to settle for a point, denying either side the opportunity to claim bragging rights in the Lagos derby.

While Enyimba celebrated their first victory of the season with an entertaining four-goal display, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City were left to reflect on a hard-fought encounter that yielded no goals.

Both fixtures provided contrasting outcomes, with Enyimba taking all three points in Aba and the Lagos rivals sharing the spoils in Onikan.

  

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Lagos Teenager Finally Gets Freedom After Four Years In Detention Over Slippers

    A Lagos teenager who was remanded in custody in 2022 after he was allegedly arrested over slippers similar to those worn by a complainant has regained his freedom after spending nearly four years behind bars.

The teenager, whose identity was not disclosed, was among two men whose cases were taken up by the non-governmental organisation, Citizens Gavel, after

its legal team discovered them during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in January 2024.

Citizens Gavel, in a post, stated that the teenager was arrested because he wore slippers similar to those of the complainant

but had never been taken to court despite spending months in custody.

The legal body noted that the discovery prompted its intervention to track the case.

“Their ordeal came to our attention in January 2024 during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre, where our legal team in Lagos interviewed

them and discovered that, despite having been arrested since 2022, they had never been taken to court.”

“Immediately, our legal team took up their cases and began tracking the matter at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, eventually tracing

the case to the court of Justice Coker,” the post partly read.

 

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Citizens Gavel stated that it made its first appearance in the matter in March 2024 and subsequently appeared before Justice Coker more than seven times

for trial.

The organisation further stated that despite several adjournments, the prosecution failed to produce a single witness.

“From then on, we continued appearing before Justice Coker on more than seven occasions for trial and filed several applications urging the court to strike

out the case despite all the adjournments and the prosecution failing to produce a single witness,” it said.

The legal team, however, claimed that it was informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker was on official assignment and that the case would be transferred

to another court.

The statement noted that the Citizens Gavel again began the process of tracking the case and eventually discovered that it had been transferred to the

court of Justice Oshodi.

The organisation said it first appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, when the charges were read to the two defendants, and they pleaded not guilty.

“At the close of the prosecution’s case, we filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring the defendants

to answer,” the post read.

The matter was subsequently adjourned for ruling.

Delivering the ruling, the court reportedly upheld the No Case Submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants.

Citizens Gavel, however, described the outcome as significant.

“What makes this victory even more profound is that throughout this nearly four-year ordeal, not a single member of either defendant’s family appeared

in court. No other lawyer also represented them. They endured years in custody largely unseen and unheard. Today, they walk free,” the organisation said.

  

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How Two Police Officers Lost Their Lives At The Hands Of Hit-And-Run Drivers In Lagos

    A couple of days after Johnson Okediji, a police sergeant, was crushed by a car during stop-and-search operation at the Egbeda area, a female police inspector, Mercy Bassey, has died after she was reportedly knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while on route-lining duty ahead of the arrival of President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Tuesday.

Lagos Today Extra! gathered that Bassey was hit by a black Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle. According to eye-witnesses, the deceased officer, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at the Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, when the incident occurred.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the incident happened while Bassey was deployed for route-lining duty for the presidential movement.

The source added that the registration number of the SUV and the identity of its driver were unknown.

The source said, “At about 2:30pm, while on route lining for the Presidential movement, Inspector Mercy Bassey, attached to Ikotun Divisional Police Station, Lagos, was hit by a black Highlander SUV while crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, Lagos.

 

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“The registration number of the vehicle and the driver are not yet known. The vehicle sped off after hitting the officer. The vehicle was chased by patrolmen on duty but escaped to an unknown destination.”

The source said the policewoman was rushed to the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, for treatment but reportedly died while awaiting treatment.

“The victim was rushed to General Hospital, Ebute Metta, but later died while awaiting treatment. The corpse will be moved to a morgue in Yaba for preservation,” the source added.

When contacted for a reaction, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further.

“We don’t want to comment on the matter at the moment,” she said.

A few days earlier, Johnson Okediji, a police sergeant, was crushed by a car during stop-and-search operation at the Egbeda area of Lagos state.

The incident occurred along Olugbede street on September 26, 2026.

Speaking during a news conference on Monday, Fatai Tijani, the Lagos police commissioner, said on the day of the incident, officers on stop-and-search duty asked a Lexus ES 350 driven by Olusola Olumide, a 21-year-old phone seller, to pull over.

Tijani said Olumide initially brought the car to a halt but suddenly sped off as the sergeant approached the steering wheel.

The Lagos police commissioner said the sergeant was knocked down and his body dragged under the moving vehicle.

Tijani further relayed that the driver refused to stop the vehicle despite efforts from police officers and passersby.

“The driver was eventually chased and arrested. The officer sustained multiple fractures and serious head injuries,” the Lagos police commissioner said.

“He was taken to the nearby hospital and subsequently referred to LASUTH, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead on arrival.”

Tijani said the trend of drivers speeding off when asked to pull over during stop-and-search operations has become worrisome.

Narrating what transpired, Olumide said the car developed brake failure and that he could not stop the vehicle.

The driver said just days before the incident, he took the car to the mechanic to replace the brake pad.

“My car brake failed and I accidentally ran over the officer. I was about to park, but there was a slip and I hit the car in front of me. I couldn’t stop the car,” Olumide said.

“I took the car to the mechanic to change the brake pad, and he told me that he had changed it. The next day, I went to buy fuel before I saw the officers.”

Olumide added that police officers at the checkpoint knew him and were aware that he had not deliberately hit the deceased officer.

  

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Lagos Takes Health Campaign To Rural Communities

The Lagos State Government has launched a community-based health and sanitation campaign aimed at promoting healthy hygiene practices and preventing the spread of diseases at the grassroots.

The programme, launched in Oriade Local Council Development Area, is expected to extend across the five divisions of the state.

The initiative, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, seeks to take health and sanitation education directly to communities through local government structures and community development associations.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, said the campaign was designed to make basic health and sanitation practices part of residents’ daily routines.

She said a clean and healthy environment was central to the wellbeing and productivity of communities, urging community leaders, youths and residents to participate actively in the campaign.

Bolarinwa said the programme would “strengthen public awareness, encourage responsible sanitation practices, promote behavioural change and deepen community ownership of collective environmental health responsibilities.”

She said the campaign was focused on changing behaviour by taking health and hygiene advocacy beyond formal health facilities to neighbourhoods where residents made daily decisions about sanitation and personal healthcare.

 

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The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Rural Development, Babatunde Durojaiye, said the campaign was prompted by the state government’s focus on healthcare, hygiene and living conditions under its development agenda.

He urged participants to pay attention to the health and hygiene information provided by the facilitators and apply it in their communities.

The Chairman of Oriade LCDA, Rasaq Olojede, said the council would continue to work with the state government to promote hygienic practices at the local level.

The Chairman of the Community Development Committee in Oriade, Victor Okunola, also pledged the cooperation of community development associations in extending the campaign across the LCDA.

The programme featured presentations on health and environmental hygiene by a professional from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Felicia Obisesan, and the Director of Health Education and Promotion Services in the Ministry of Health, Elizabeth Oguntona.

The government said the campaign would use community participation to strengthen awareness of preventive healthcare and sanitation practices.

  

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Eight Escape Death As Three Trucks Collide On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Eight occupants of three trucks escaped death on Thursday after the vehicles were involved in a multiple-vehicle crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, around the Sinoma outbound Lagos axis in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The accident, which occurred around 3:30 pm, involved eight male occupants, none of whom were injured or killed.

The incident was contained in a traffic and accident situation report issued by the Mowe-Ibafo Divisional Command of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps.

According to the report signed by the Divisional Commander, Ojo Olarinsoye, the vehicles involved were a white HOWO truck with registration number MDB-610XA, conveying wheat; a yellow DAF truck with registration number GME-33XA, conveying Vaseline cream; and a white MAN truck with a gas tanker, with registration number BDG-750YL.

 

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The report stated that preliminary findings indicated that the DAF truck rammed into the rear of the HOWO truck, reportedly due to impatience, with the impact subsequently affecting the MAN truck.

It read, “Preliminary information revealed that the Yellow DAF Truck rammed into the rear of the White HOWO Truck, reportedly due to impatience, and the impact subsequently affected the White MAN Truck with Gas Tanker.”

Despite the impact involving three trucks, the agency said none of the eight occupants sustained injuries or lost their lives.

The report stated that TRACE operatives arrived at the scene around 6:13 pm, shortly after the accident was reported.

The rescue and traffic management operation involved TRACE, Amotekun and the Police Motor Traffic Division, Sagamu.

The agency said its operatives, working with Amotekun and the police, controlled traffic and managed the situation while efforts were made to remove the affected vehicles from the carriageway.

It added that the Police MTD, Sagamu, was contacted and arranged towing services for the affected vehicles.

According to the report, the yellow DAF truck was towed to the custody of the Police MTD, Sagamu, while the white HOWO truck and the white MAN truck with a gas tanker were driven away from the carriageway by their respective drivers.

The agency noted that motorists experienced slow movement as the affected trucks occupied part of the carriageway during the evacuation process.

It, however, said the situation was brought under control after all the affected trucks were successfully evacuated and the carriageway cleared.

  

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NBA Backs Lagos Anti-Street Begging Bill, Demands Safeguards

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has backed a proposed law to prohibit street begging and street urchins in the state, but urged the House of Assembly to strengthen its provisions and ensure enforcement does not criminalise poverty or violate the rights of vulnerable people.

The Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, Uchenna Akingbade, stated this at a public hearing on the proposed Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill 2026 at the Lagos State House of Assembly earlier this week.

The NBA said the legislation was necessary to address the use of children for begging, obstruction of public spaces and cases of violent or coercive solicitation, but called for clear safeguards around arrest, detention and rehabilitation.

Akingbade said the situation was particularly concerning along the Lekki-Epe corridor and called for urgent intervention, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency in identified flashpoints.

He urged the lawmakers to remove ambiguity from the proposed offence of “loitering for the purpose of begging” and called for tougher penalties where people engaged in begging were found carrying dangerous weapons.

The NBA chairman also called for more rehabilitation centres, arguing that enforcement should be accompanied by measures to address the circumstances that leave vulnerable people on the streets.

The association stressed that children found begging should be treated as children in need of care and protection and handled separately from adult offenders under the Lagos State Child Rights Law.

It also called for stronger penalties against adults who exploit children for begging, alongside due process, court oversight and defined limits on detention and rehabilitation.

 

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The proposed law would establish a rehabilitation-centred enforcement regime. First-time offenders would be cautioned and taken to rehabilitation centres, while subsequent offences could attract a fine or imprisonment of up to three months. Serial offenders could face up to two years in prison.

The rehabilitation programme contemplated by the bill includes temporary care, vocational training, literacy programmes, psychological counselling, life-skills training and welfare support.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoya, said the Assembly recognised that street begging was not merely a question of public order.

He said the issue had security, socio-economic, developmental and child-protection dimensions, insisting that the legislative response must be “firm and humane”.

Orekoya said vulnerable children found on the streets should be protected rather than merely punished, adding that the proposed framework was intended to provide for their care, education, rehabilitation and possible reintegration into their families and communities.

He also stressed that enforcement must respect the fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution, including protection against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and unlawful detention.

Speaking on behalf of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, White Cap Chief Gbolahan Oki said arrests had failed to deter some offenders because they expected to regain their freedom shortly after being detained.

“The culprits don’t see arrest as anything because they know the police nets are filled up and they know they will be out soon,” Oki said.

He proposed a rehabilitation model based on productive work, referring to the traditional Itekule concept under which offenders could be made to contribute through activities such as bread production.

“What can curb the menace is to be subjected to two years of hard work,” he said.

The proposed law has also drawn calls for differentiated treatment of people whose presence on the streets may be linked to mental health conditions.

The Executive Director of Elixir Trust Foundation, Emmanuel Ikule, urged the Assembly to provide for people begging with mental health challenges to be referred to appropriate psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities.

Ikule cited Pen Cinema and Ojodu-Berger as areas where, he alleged, some people had used knives at night to extort money from unsuspecting members of the public.

A counselling psychologist, Suliat Olaniran, also raised concerns about alleged cases in which dangerous weapons were used to compel people to give money at night.

The bill also seeks to prevent the exploitation of children by prohibiting parents, guardians and custodians from using or permitting children to engage in street begging or hawking.

Children apprehended under the proposed law would be dealt with under the Lagos State Child Rights Law and referred to child-welfare authorities.

The NBA, however, said the proposed law should target harmful conduct and exploitation rather than poverty, homelessness or disability.

It also called for the agency to be created under the legislation to have clearly defined responsibilities, adequate government funding, financial accountability and safeguards for the personal data of children and adults brought within the system.

The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, who represented the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said the proposed law was not intended to deprive anyone of their rights and welcomed support from private organisations in tackling the problem.

The bill envisages collaboration among government agencies, the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, traditional institutions, religious organisations, families, communities, schools, civil society groups and the private sector.

  

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Why We Dumped APC For APM - Agege Aspirants, Say Mudasiru Obasa Has Nothing To Do With It

A former Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ganiyu Egunjobi, and a former aspirant in Agege Constituency II, Azeez Yusuf, have dismissed reports linking their defection from the All Progressives Congress to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa.

The duo said this in a statement they jointly signed and made available to Lagos Today Extra!,.

The duo, who contested the tickets of the All Progressives Congress for Agege Constituencies I and II respectively, emerged as candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement on Thursday.

Their defection came after an APC primary in which Egunjobi’s former Vice-Chairman, Glenga Abiola, was declared the winner of the Agege Constituency I ticket.

Likewise, Yusuf had lost the primary ticket to Sakiru Enimakure.

However, the former APC members who insisted on their victory at the primaries have clarified the misleading report that Obasa was behind their exit from the party.

They noted that the decision was carefully considered independently.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa had no hand whatsoever in our decision to leave the APC and contest under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The decision was entirely ours and was taken independently after careful consideration of our experiences within the party,” the statement partly read.

While stating that they showed loyalty to the APC structure in the Agege LGA, despite “political challenges,” they were later confronted with “grave injustice.”

 

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They maintained that party defections were typical in the Nigerian political space, saying the movement “from one political party to another was not unusual in Nigerian politics,” citing “former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, who is now Director-General of the governorship campaign of the APC candidate, Obafemi Hamzat,” as an example.

“What is the issue with our decision to leave? Obanikoro once left the party and was even openly critical of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We did not leave then. We remained, strengthened the party and contributed to its growth. We had never contemplated leaving until we were confronted with what we considered grave injustice,” they claimed.

The duo lamented their disappointment at the leadership of the APC as it “failed to initiate any meaningful reconciliation effort after the disputed primaries.”

The former APC aspirants “maintained that their decision to join the APM was, therefore, “a direct consequence of what they described as the denial of their mandates.”

According to the statement, Egunjobi and Yusuf made internal efforts within the APC by “submitting petitions and seeking redress, but were disappointed that the leadership did not invite them for reconciliation or provide a satisfactory resolution to their complaints.”

The statement noted that their “defection should, therefore, not be interpreted as a move engineered.” Rather, it was a decision they took “after considering their experience within the APC and the failure to resolve the dispute over the primary elections.”

  

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