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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Sanwo-Olu, Fashola, Ambode Named In Lagos APC Campaign Council

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has released the structure of its campaign council ahead of the 2027 general elections, listing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode.

The Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre published the list on Thursday.

According to the list, Prince Tajudeen Olusi will serve as Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, while Sanwo-Olu is listed as Advisory Council Chairman. Fashola and Ambode are named as Co-Chairmen.

 

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Other members of the advisory structure include the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and former Minister of Health, Adeleke Mamora.

At the campaign council level, Sanwo-Olu is listed as Chairman, with his deputy, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, as Deputy Chairman.

The council also names Ojelabi Cornelius as Vice Chairman I, Obasa as Vice Chairman II and Damilola Sonayon James as Vice Chairman III.

Former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is listed as Director-General, while Rasaq Ajala is named Deputy Director-General and Adekunle Olayinka as Campaign Secretary.

The council has various directorates and sub-committees covering areas including legal and compliance, party and inter-party affairs, administration and logistics, traditional institutions, diaspora engagement and residents’ associations.

The formal inauguration of the council members was held on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja, Lagos.

  

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Boxers Gun For Fame As 'Battle Of The Ages' Hits Lagos September 26

Three boxing titles will be up for grabs when De Lads Boxing Promotion stages the 14th edition of its Battle of the Ages series, tagged ‘No Reconciliation’, at the NIS Gymnasium in Lagos on September 26.

The bill features seven professional bouts and one celebrity fight, all sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control.

The headline attraction is a rematch between Ridwan “Sojar Boy” Oyekola and Tosin “Scorpion” Osaigbovo for the WBA Africa Gold lightweight title over 10 rounds, while other title fights on the night include a WBA Africa lightweight clash between Idowu Rasheed and Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh, and a national middleweight title bout pitting Damilare Arowolo against an unbeaten Azeem Bakare.

The undercard also features Ahmed Lawal against Sodiq Oyakojo for the national lightweight challenge, Saheed Abdullahi against Abdul-Afeez Oshoba for the national welterweight challenge, Rilwan Babatunde against Michael Ani for the national super-welterweight challenge, and Uzoukwu Cadet against Omejeh Chimaobi in a heavyweight contest. The celebrity fight will see Kelvin Power take on a bodybuilder known as Viper.

 

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Speaking at the fight’s press conference, President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Dr Rafiu Oladipo, said professional boxing had grown into one of the country’s top two sports over the last five years, having previously struggled for relevance.

“In the last five years, boxing has thrived and has become one of the top two sports in Nigeria. That is professional boxing,” he said.

Oladipo commended the De-Lads promotion for investing in young fighters and helping to keep them off the streets, urging the boxers on the card to take their profession seriously.

He added that he was looking forward to Nigeria producing Commonwealth and world champions. He also credited the board’s support for promoters for the steady rise in boxing events across the country.

“We did our bit, and now we see boxing events every week, and on occasions, two events took place in one day. That’s because the NBBofC have created a space of support for the promoters, and this has helped to secure the future of Nigeria, as the youths who box are the future of Nigeria,” he said, describing De-Lads as one of the promotions the board was committed to sustaining.

Promoter and CEO of De-Lads Boxing Promotion, Alhaji Waheed, said the event had continued to grow with each edition.

“As you can see, from every edition we are progressing and we are keeping the growth going. Although at every event, we try to correct the mistakes of the previous one,” he said, noting that additional agencies and bouncers had been engaged to address security breaches recorded at an earlier edition. He disclosed that the event would be streamed on at least three platforms, with more expected to be added before fight night.

Secretary-General of the NBBofC, Remi Aboderin, promised fight fans an entertaining night at the venue.

“The fans can look forward to an amazing time at the NIS Gymnasium. We also have arrangements made for the livestream. If you are not able to buy tickets, you can stream as well. It will be an electric night to remember with entertaining bouts,” he said.

Ahead of the bouts, several fighters traded words at the press conference. Lawal, popularly called ‘Small Tyson’, vowed the fight would not go the distance, insisting he would let his fists do the talking, while Oyakojo, known as ‘Golden Boy’, dismissed the threat and promised to show why he carries that nickname.

Abdullahi said he had the speed and strength to trouble the more experienced Oshoba, who countered that experience remained the best teacher. Babatunde, nicknamed ‘Babyface’, said he was a man of few words who preferred to let the ring do his talking, while his opponent, Ani, said he had travelled from Onitsha purely for business, not spectacle. Arowolo promised to go toe-to-toe with his unbeaten rival, Bakare, who in turn said he had no reason to fear the challenge.

The celebrity bout has also generated buzz, with Power alleging that Viper owed him N1.5m and had reneged on a promise to repay the debt depending on the fight’s outcome, claiming his rival had already skipped the pre-fight conference. In the Jollof derby, Rasheed took a swipe at his Ghanaian opponent, Tetteh, describing himself as a knockout fighter and warning him to be wary, while pointing to an earlier win over another Ghanaian boxer as proof of his credentials.

The event is sponsored by the Bet9ja Foundation, Fearless, LSSC, and other partners.

  

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Jide Kosoko, Eniola Badmus, Toyin Abraham, Other Celebrities Named In APC Lagos Campaign Council

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Fuji musicians Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Abass Akande Obesere and Adewale Ayuba, and Nollywood stars Toyin Abraham, Eniola Badmus

and Bimbo Akintola are among dozens of entertainment industry figures named to the All Progressives Congress Lagos State Campaign Council’s Entertainment

and Creative Economy Directorate.

The directorate is contained in the full list of the campaign council released by the Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre on Thursday, ahead of the council’s

inauguration on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat, ACME Road, Ikeja.

According to the list, Toke Benson-Awoyinka will serve as Director of the directorate, with Kosoko as Co-Director and actress Badmus as Deputy Director.

Akeem Alimi, popularly known as Ajala Jalingo, is listed as Secretary, and Dare Olateju as Assistant Secretary.

 

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Other members drawn from the Yoruba movie industry include veteran actor Oga Bello (Adebayo Salami), Saheed Balogun, Bukky Wright, Fathia Balogun, Yinka

Quadri and Tayo Sobola.

The Fuji music sector is also well represented, with Pasuma, Obesere, Ayuba, Sulaimon Alao Adekunle (Malaika), Akorede Babatunde Okunola (Osupa) and Temitope

Adekunle (Small Doctor) all listed as members.

The directorate is one of several structures under the campaign council, which lists Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Chairman and Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as

Deputy Chairman.

  

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How 45,000-Litre Petrol Tanker Overturned In Epe

A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, spilling its contents onto the roadway.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

The agency said no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.

According to the statement, the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van, marked KJA-13FJ, which had developed a mechanical fault and was stationary along the carriageway.

LASEMA said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the tanker, while attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary Ford pickup van which had developed a mechanical fault along the carriageway, had one of its rear tyres slip into a pit, causing it to overturn and fall onto the pickup van, leading to spillage of its highly inflammable contents onto the roadway.”

The agency said it received a distress call at 10:19am and immediately activated its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed at Epe.

It said, “Upon arrival, responders observed a tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, with registration number T-18212LA, which was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed, with registration number KJA-13FJ.”

 

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LASEMA said it activated its multi-agency incident management protocol, with the LRT working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.

It said the agencies “promptly secured the incident perimeter, implemented traffic control and diversion measures, and deployed safety protocols to prevent a secondary incident.”

According to the agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service blanketed the fallen tanker and its immediate surroundings with chemical foam to mitigate the risk of a fire outbreak.

“The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular movement to ensure public safety,” the statement added.

LASEMA said the remaining PMS was successfully transferred from the damaged tanker to an empty tanker.

“Through seamless coordination and professional execution, the transloading of the remaining PMS from the accidented tanker to an empty tanker was successfully completed without incident,” it said.

The agency added that both vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway with the aid of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.

“The road has since been reopened and is now free for vehicular activities,” LASEMA said.

The agency said, “Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident.”

Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their intervention, saying, “The swift response and synergy of all emergency responders whose professionalism averted what could have resulted in a major disaster.”

He also appealed to motorists, particularly heavy-duty vehicle and tanker drivers, to ensure their vehicles were in good mechanical condition and exercise caution on Lagos roads.

The statement said, “The Permanent Secretary appeals to motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and tankers conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, adhere strictly to traffic regulations, and exercise utmost caution on Lagos roads.”

It urged members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.

  

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The Proposed Magistrates’ Law Amendment Was Not Sponsored By My Office - Lagos Attorney-General

The Lagos State Government has clarified that the proposed amendment to the Magistrates’ Law currently before the state’s House of Assembly is not an executive bill, but a private member’s initiative aimed at addressing structural issues within the state’s justice system.

The state’s Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said the controversy surrounding the bill had made it necessary to set the record straight on its origin, purpose and policy context.

He said that contrary to public perception, the proposed amendment was not sponsored by his office but had been introduced independently and is undergoing legislative consideration by the Assembly.

According to him, the position of the Ministry of Justice is guided by a long-standing policy that aligns with the conditions of service of law officers in those Magistrates, a framework that has been in place in Lagos since 1997 following a government circular.

Pedro explained that such harmonisation is not unique to Lagos State, noting that states, including Abia, Kogi, Benue, Imo and Kwara, have enacted similar laws to ensure parity between law officers and Magistrates in terms of remuneration and service conditions.

He added that the proposed amendment should be viewed as a continuation of this established policy rather than the creation of new privileges for a specific group of officers.

 

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The attorney-general also pointed to developments in Osun State, where legislation enacted in 2023 increased the retirement age of officers involved in the administration of justice, including state counsel and court registrars, to 65 years.

Pedro said the initiative was partly necessitated by the 2023 constitutional amendment that raised the retirement age of High Court judges from 65 to 70 years, saying that prior to the constitutional change, predictable vacancies existed on the High Court Bench, creating opportunities for the elevation of experienced Chief Magistrates and senior law officers.

However, the AG noted that the extension of the retirement age for High Court judges had reduced the frequency of such vacancies, thereby limiting career progression opportunities within the lower judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.

He said the proposed amendment seeks to address this imbalance by creating a more coherent career structure and ensuring that experienced officers are retained for a reasonable period.

The attorney-general, who stated that the reform is intended to promote fairness, enhance stability within the justice system and strengthen succession planning by allowing for mentorship and knowledge transfer, maintained that the legislative intervention, if passed, would contribute to the continued development of the justice system and ensure that the state benefits from the expertise of its most experienced judicial and legal officers.

  

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King’s College: Alausa Pauses Implementation As Unions Suspend Strike

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and labour unions in the Federal Ministry of Education have reached a two-week truce to end the immediate crisis over the proposed 35-year concession of King’s College, Lagos, and the disruption of activities in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

Under a five-point agreement reached at a meeting between the education ministers and representatives of the unions on Wednesday, the workers agreed to immediately suspend their industrial action, paving the way for the reopening and resumption of academic activities in more than 100 Federal Unity Colleges affected by the dispute.

The agreement also provides for a two-week pause in the implementation of the proposed takeover of the management of King’s College by its old students’ association.

Analysts say the ceasefire will give both sides time to review the contentious arrangement.

As part of the pact, the Federal Government also agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in the industrial action, while policemen deployed to the premises of King’s College would be redeployed.

The meeting further resolved to constitute a seven-man committee to negotiate and critically examine the Federal Government’s agreement with the King’s College old students, with a view to addressing the concerns raised by the unions.

 

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The development effectively suspends the immediate confrontation between the ministry and the unions, while creating a two-week window for negotiations on the King’s College concession and other grievances raised by the workers.

Earlier in a press conference, Dr Alausa had declared that there was no going back on the Federal Government’s proposed concession despite mounting opposition from workers, parents and other stakeholders.

He stressed that the government had followed due process in arriving at the decision and remained committed to the concession as part of efforts to improve the school’s infrastructure, resources and overall management.

The minister maintained that the proposed concession was not an abandonment of the institution by the Federal Government, but a move intended to address infrastructure and management challenges and improve the quality of education at the college.

He, however, accused some directors in the Federal Ministry of Education of fuelling the controversy by mobilising workers against the government’s decision.

He alleged that misinformation about the concession was being deliberately circulated by some union members and what he described as “unscrupulous” staff of the ministry.

“Misinformation has been going around, perpetuated by union members and unscrupulous members of staff of the Federal Ministry of Education,” he said.

Alausa also took a swipe at the Parent-Teacher Association of King’s College, accusing it of turning admission into a lucrative enterprise and allegedly demanding as much as N20 million from prospective students.

“The PTA of King’s College has turned admission into King’s College into criminal enterprise,” he alleged.

His declaration came amid escalating opposition by workers in the ministry and other stakeholders, who have raised concerns over concession of the 117-year old institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association.

According to him, the alumni had spent over N2billion on the institution with nothing to show for it.

He explained that, contrary to reports circulated by the workers, the school was not for sale, stressing that the Federal Government would retain full ownership of the school despite the proposed management arrangement with the Old Boys Association. “We haven’t sold it to them. The property still remains Federal Government property,” Alausa said, insisting that the government retains 100 per cent ownership of the school.

Alausa also assured workers that the proposed management arrangement would not result in job losses or demotions, stressing that affected staff would retain their appointments and existing levels within the public service.

He said the government had considered the concerns of the workers and would ensure that their employment rights and benefits were protected throughout the process.

He explained that workers who might be affected by the arrangement would have the option of being redeployed to other federal institutions within the education sector where their services were needed.

According to him, teachers and non-academic staff could be posted to other Unity Colleges and federal institutions, with the government maintaining that no worker would be forced out of employment as a result of the proposed concession.

  

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Legal Recognition Of Disability Rights In Africa Is Not Enough To Guarantee PWDs Full Inclusion In Electoral Process - Stakeholders

INEC Chairmen, Prof Joash Amupitan        

A clarion call has been made to electoral policy makers across Africa to go beyond the legal recognition of disability rights, and build the capacity needed to implement those rights in order to ensure full participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the electoral process on the continent.

The call was made at a webinar organised by the Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa (CDIA) to commemorate the International Day of Democracy.

According to a press release from CDIA, made available to Lagos Today Extra!, The virtual event brought together disability advocates and electoral stakeholders from Nigeria and Kenya to examine barriers confronting persons with disabilities throughout the electoral cycle.

Stakeholders noted that Nigeria, for instance,  has made progress in recognising the electoral rights of persons with disabilities, but gaps in data, accessibility, funding and implementation continue to limit their full participation in the democratic process.

Speaking at the event, Mr Yisa Usman said legal recognition of disability rights would have limited impact if electoral institutions lacked the capacity to implement those rights. He identified disability-disaggregated data, policy development, budgeting, procurement, training, deployment of personnel and materials, accessibility, participation and accountability as key elements required to translate legal provisions into meaningful participation.

 

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Nigeria's legal framework has recently expanded protections for voters with disabilities. Under the Electoral Act 2026, disability status, disaggregated by type of disability, is to be included in the National Register of Voters. The law also provides for reasonable measures to assist voters with disabilities, including Braille, large embossed print, electronic devices and sign-language interpretation.

However, participants at the event said legal provisions alone would not guarantee accessibility at polling units without adequate planning and resources. The issue of reliable disability data was highlighted as a particular challenge. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently reported that 137,487 persons with disabilities had been captured in registration data before its Automated Fingerprint Identification System exercise.

Stakeholders cautioned that the figure should not be interpreted as the total number of registered voters with disabilities in Nigeria. They said accurate, disability-disaggregated data was necessary to determine the type and quantity of assistance required and where such support should be deployed. They further argued that such data would have greater operational value if it directly informed electoral budgets, procurement, training and logistics.

Sharing his experience from the recent Osun State governorship election, Lanre Olakusibe, a person with a mobility challenge, acknowledged improvements in electoral inclusion but identified continuing challenges relating to public awareness, physical accessibility, transportation, assistive materials and the preparedness of polling officials.

The discussions also focused on the involvement of persons with disabilities in electoral planning. Participants said organisations representing persons with disabilities should be involved not only in consultations but also in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. They argued that such organisations often have practical knowledge of barriers that may not be readily identified by electoral officials during institutional planning.

Beyond voting, stakeholders raised concerns about the participation of persons with disabilities as candidates for political office. The cost of political party nomination and application forms was identified as one potential barrier to political participation. Participants called for consideration of measures that could reduce or waive such costs for persons with disabilities.

The webinar also featured the experience of Kenya, with Karen Muruiki highlighting challenges facing disability inclusion in that country's
electoral process. Participants said the experiences of Nigeria and Kenya reflected a broader, common  issue across Africa: the need to strengthen the capacity of electoral institutions to turn legal protections for persons with disabilities into practical participation.

Among the measures proposed were accessibility-readiness checklists for polling units, practical disability-competence training for frontline electoral officials, and the use of disability data to guide budgeting, procurement and deployment. Stakeholders also called for post-election assessments to examine accessibility outcomes, rather than focusing solely on expenditure, and urged electoral authorities to establish mechanisms for sustained participation by persons with disabilities throughout the electoral cycle. They further identified civic and disability education as a long-term component of inclusion, suggesting that disability rights and inclusion should be incorporated into school education to help address misconceptions and barriers associated with disability.

The discussions ultimately underscored a central challenge for Nigeria's electoral system: translating legal guarantees into practical access. For persons with disabilities, stakeholders said, meaningful democratic participation will depend not only on the existence of rights in law but also on whether electoral institutions have the resources, systems and processes required to implement those rights. 

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The Battle For The Soul Of King’s College Lagos Gears Up As Parents, Teachers, Other Stakeholders Mobilize Against Secret Concession Of School

A couple of years ago, 12-year-old Tunde spent his evenings reading by the flickering light of a rechargeable lamp in a single room in Ajegunle. His father, a commercial bus driver, and his mother, a petty trader, could barely afford three meals a day. Yet, when the National Common Entrance Examination results were released, Tunde had achieved one of the highest scores in the state. His reward was a golden ticket: admission to King’s College, Lagos. For Tunde, the school was not just a campus of red brick and colonial history; it was a rescue boat. Because it was a federal institution, his tuition was free, allowing a boy from the slums to receive the same elite education as the sons of senators.

Today, that rescue boat is navigating turbulent waters as a recent federal concessioning agreement has handed over the management of Nigeria’s premier secondary school to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that transfers all forms of funding from the federal government to KCOBA. While the decision aims to rescue the institution from decades of systemic decay and neglect from the government, it has ignited a fierce national debate over whether the country’s brightest, poorest children are about to be priced out of their future.

The concession of KCL is contained in a letter signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education  by the Director Overseeing Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Folake Olatunji-David. 

In  the letter dated September 4, made available to Lagos Today Extra!,  and addressed to the Principal of KCL, the ministry said all necessary processes leading to the signing of the concession agreement had been concluded and that the college had consequently been conceded to KCOBA. The ministry also stated that arrangements had been concluded to hand over the college to the association with immediate effect for the implementation of the agreement.

As part of the transition process, a transition committee is to be constituted to ensure a seamless transfer of the college’s management to KCOBA.

The  committee was given a six-month window within which to facilitate the transition, after which funding of the college from the Federation Account will cease. The principal was also directed to make available to the transition committee a list of staff members  willing to remain in the employment of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

Secret Concessioning Without Stakeholders Involvement

One of the big issues arising from the concessioning of the school is that the process was shrouded in secrecy as stakeholders were not carried along in the build up to the concessioning. Observers of the unfolding event say this is a huge drawback against a feasible and practicable implementation. The major question on their lips is: if the inputs of parents, teachers and other critical stakeholders are not considered before the concessioning, how can all interests be represented within the new management?

As expected, the announcement of the concession triggered an emergency meeting between the school’s management and staff union, after which the institution was shut down.

“Following the meetings with the school management and workers to notify everyone of the development, the staff union immediately announced a plan to shut down the college”, said the union in a statement on decisions reached at the meeting. The statement warned that neighbouring schools would start shutting down in solidarity with the union.

“This shutdown might spread nationwide if positive feedback is not received on time from the FME,” the union said.

With the college now shut indefinitely, the dispute could disrupt the academic calendar of the school; it has also renewed concerns about the future of Nigeria’s Federal Government Unity Colleges under concession arrangements.

Parent-Teacher Association Reacts

The secret concession of the College has been vehemently condemned by  the  National Parent- Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) and staff members of the 116-year-old institution. They questioned the rationale for relinquishing control of a premium unity school and demanded clarity on the real motive behind the concession.

 

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The staff members, under the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), had also protested shortly after the Federal Ministry of Education(FME) announced the transfer of the school to the old boys association.  

In rejecting the concession, NAPTAN, through its Board of Trustees  Chairman,   Adeolu Ogunbanjo, described it as worrisome. According to Ogunbanjo, the development could undermine access to the college, particularly if the new management substantially increases school fees.

“Affordability will become a major concern for parents, potentially denying many families access to King’s College if fees increase substantially,” he  said.

He questioned whether the Federal Government had decided it could no longer manage unity schools and demanded clarity on the reasons behind the decision.

The PTA of the college  is  demanding that, if the concession must proceed, existing students should be allowed to complete their education under the present arrangement, proposing a minimum six-year transition period before the new operators begin admitting students.

“If concession is going to take place, at least you should give it a period of a minimum of six years to consummate,”  said the association’s chairman, Peter Oluwaleye.

Oluwaleye also said the new operators could begin admitting their own students after the existing students  graduated. 

He  argued  that children already admitted into the school cannot be transferred from a government institution into a privately operated one midway through their education.

According to him, members of the association are  particularly worried that the concession would eventually trigger a sharp increase in school fees, potentially defeating the purpose of the Federal Government’s Unity School system.

“If we had wanted to put our children in private school, most of us are not capable of doing that,” Oluwaleye said.

Oluwaleye argued that many parents chose   King’s College because it provides quality education at a subsidised cost, adding that handing the institution to a private entity could make it inaccessible to families who cannot afford high private school fees.

School Fees To Rise Up to N5 Million Per Student

Unit Chairman of ASCSN,   Samuel Enang, also  argued  that fees could  rise to between N4 million and N5 million per student if the old boys association eventually took  over the school’s ownership.

“How many parents in this present economy of the country can afford such education for their children?” Enang asked.

 He  alleged that  the old boys association intends to commercialise portions of the college’s property, into hotels, shopping malls and car parks.

Even though this allegation has not been independently verified, observers who spoke with Lagos Today Extra! say those are measures usually put in place to ensure continued inflow of revenue to run the operations and also fulfil personal interests that might not be in favour of the students themselves.

Staff Of The College In A Dilemma

Apart from the fear that the new arrangement could trigger school fees out of the reach of students from poor homes, the teachers of King’s College have found themselves in a tight dilemma. The letter from the Federal Ministry of Education asked the teachers to indicate whether they want to remain with the federal civil service or move over to the new management, the KCOBA. One of the teachers who spoke with Lagos Today Extra! on the condition of anonymity said the choice is like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.

“if you decide to go with the KCOBA, you might lose the emoluments of unpaid salary and other promotional arrears which the federal government has been owing us for many years. What about gratuity, what about pension? And if you decide to stay with the federal civil service, you might be deployed to other locations where you will need to start hunting for a new accommodation at this time that rents have spiraled out of control for the ordinary people, including teachers. Don’t forget that the accommodations in the school you are redeployed to have been filled up with staff in that institution,” he said, adding that all these issues would have been adequately presented  and addressed if the concessioning was not secretly done, without inputs from critical stakeholders.

Another member of the college staff who spoke with our correspondent said the secret manner in which the process was carried out suggests there might be some hidden personal interests at the heart of the concession.

“I don’t know why they had to do everything in secrecy. What are they trying to hide? Is there some vested personal interests of the new owners they wanted to protect at all costs. Who are the big boys in KCOBA and what influence do they have in the present administration? Why the rush to concession the school before the 2027 general election? Questions upon questions without answers. All these issues would have been addressed if critical stakeholders were carried along in the process of the concession,” he told our correspondent.

We Still Own King’s College -  FG

Confronted with all the backlash, the Federal Government came out with a statement that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, saying it retains legal ownership of the institution.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday, to clarify the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession agreement with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).

In the statement, signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, the minister explained that the concession only transferred responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school to KCOBA.

He stressed that the Federal Government retained its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers over the institution.

“Let me assure Nigerians, particularly the King’s College community, that this concession is not a sale of King’s College. The government has retained legal title to the institution and will continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities.

Alausa also claimed that the agreement did not prescribe an automatic increase in school fees even though he did not say whether the agreement established a temporary or permanent fee freeze for students.

The Issues At Stake

While the Federal Ministry of Education maintains that the school remains public property, private administrative management requires financial sustainability. To maintain world-class facilities and recruit premium teaching talent, the baseline cost of attendance is expected to adjust. For families living on the economic margins, even a modest increase in utility, boarding, or developmental fees can transform an admission letter from a triumph into a heartbreak.

Education advocates warn that this shift could fundamentally distort the school's historic admission structure. If the financial threshold for enrollment rises, the entry system ceases to be purely about academic brilliance. Instead, the pool of candidates naturally narrows to those who can afford the premium, turning an institution founded to groom nation-builders into an exclusive enclave for the wealthy.

To preserve the soul of King’s College, stakeholders argue that the new management framework must treat accessibility not as an afterthought, but as a core metric of success. The KCOBA’s ambitious funding models will need to build robust, ironclad endowment funds specifically earmarked for full-ride scholarships, ensuring that no brilliant mind is turned away due to an empty pocket.

Analysts say the future of staff of the college who choose to go with the KCOBA should also be protected in terms of ensuring that salary and promotional arrears owed them are duly paid, while those who choose to remain with the federal civil service and are redeployed to other schools, should be adequately supported to a get a good accommodation wherever they are deployed to.

The walls of King’s College may desperately need a coat of paint and structural repair, but its true legacy lies in the diversity of its classrooms. As the concession takes effect, Nigeria watches closely to see if the institution can modernize its infrastructure without sacrificing the very egalitarian principles that gave boys like Tunde (earlier mentioned) a seat at the table.

  

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