Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Barrister Azeez Yusuf have rejected their expulsion from the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Lagos State chapter of the party. They described the action as belated and politically unnecessary. According to them, they had resigned their membership of the APC in July 2026, weeks before the party announced their purported expulsion on September 23.
Egunjobi and Yusuf stated that their resignation and subsequent defection to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) had already been publicly reported. They questioned the basis for the APC's decision to expel them after they had left the party. The duo signed a statement saying, "For the avoidance of doubt, we resigned from the APC in July 2026, weeks before the Party announced our purported expulsion on September 23."
The two former APC members linked their departure from the party to grievances arising from the party's primary elections. They alleged that they won the primaries in their respective constituencies but were subsequently denied the opportunity to proceed. Egunjobi and Yusuf said they had sought redress through petitions, representations, and press conferences, while repeatedly appealing to the party leadership to resolve the issues internally.
Egunjobi and Yusuf argued that the September 23 announcement could not alter the circumstances surrounding their departure. They described it as an attempt to "rewrite a political history that had already moved on." They also raised concerns about the implications of the expulsion for internal democracy, due process, and the freedom of party members to make political choices.
The duo described the action as a "disturbing manifestation of political impunity," alleging that it sought to create the impression that a political decision had been imposed on them. However, they said they would not be intimidated by the development, maintaining that they had no regret about their decision to leave the APC.
Egunjobi and Yusuf defended their defection to the APM, arguing that movement between political parties was a familiar feature of Nigerian politics. They cited the political trajectories of several politicians as examples of individuals who had operated across different political parties. They maintained that their decision to leave the APC was based on their political circumstances and unresolved grievances.
The duo declared continued support for President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Senator Idiat Adebule, and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa. They urged their supporters to remain calm and focused, saying they would continue to pursue their political aspirations under the APM platform, focused on Agege, the welfare of their constituents, and the development of Lagos State.
Key points
- Egunjobi and Yusuf reject APC's expulsion decision, citing prior resignation.
- The duo linked their departure to grievances from the party's primary elections.
- Egunjobi and Yusuf defended their defection to the APM, citing familiar features of Nigerian politics.
