A political crisis has erupted in the Agege local chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State following the expulsion of two prominent members, Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Barrister Azeez Oladapo Yusuf. The duo defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and were announced as the party's candidates for Agege Constituencies I and II in the Lagos House of Assembly. The expulsion was announced by the Lagos State chapter of the APC on Wednesday, citing anti-party activities and disloyalty.
Egunjobi and Yusuf have rejected the expulsion, claiming they had resigned from the APC in July, weeks before the expulsion was announced. They denied that their defection was engineered by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, despite being politically associated with him. According to them, their decision to leave the APC was taken independently due to grievances over the party's primary elections.
The APC's decision to expel Egunjobi and Yusuf was based on provisions of its 2022 amended constitution. The party accused them of anti-party activities and disloyalty after they left the party to pursue their political ambitions on the APM platform. Lagos APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, stated that members who lost internal contests were expected to accept the outcome or pursue recognised avenues for redress within the party.
Egunjobi and Yusuf claimed they won the APC primaries for Agege Constituencies I and II but were subsequently denied the party's tickets. They said they initially remained in the APC and sought redress through petitions and representations to party leaders, but their complaints did not result in a meaningful reconciliation process. This prompted them to seek the APM platform.
The two politicians have denied any involvement of Speaker Mudasiru Obasa in their decision to defect to the APM. In a statement, they said, "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)." They emphasised that their decision was independent and based on their grievances.
The expulsion of Egunjobi and Yusuf has deepened the crisis in the Agege local chapter of the APC. The party's actions have been seen as a move to strengthen its hold on the local government area. However, the defection of the two politicians to the APM has also been seen as a blow to the APC, as they were considered loyalists of Speaker Obasa.
The development has raised concerns about the stability of the APC in Lagos State, especially with the approaching elections. The party's ability to manage internal conflicts and maintain unity will be crucial in determining its chances in the elections. The APM, on the other hand, is hoping to capitalize on the crisis in the APC and gain more support in the state.
Key points
- The APC expelled Egunjobi and Yusuf for anti-party activities and disloyalty.
- Egunjobi and Yusuf claim they had resigned from the APC before their expulsion was announced.
- The defection of Egunjobi and Yusuf has deepened the crisis in the Agege local chapter of the APC.
