Lagos Assembly aspirants, Obasa disagree over primaries

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is once again embroiled in controversy following allegations of electoral manipulation during the recent primary elections. Mutiu Oladeebo, an aspirant for the Agege Constituency II seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has publicly accused Speaker Mudashiru Obasa of orchestrating a scheme to deny him a deserved victory.

Oladeebo's account paints a picture of undue interference, where party officials allegedly succumbed to pressure from the Speaker to declare Azeez Ninalowo, a candidate favored by Obasa, as the winner despite Oladeebo's apparent lead. This alleged disregard for the democratic wishes of party members has sparked outrage among Oladeebo's supporters, who view it as a blatant attempt to impose a candidate and undermine the electoral process.

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The people of Agege Constituency II, in their wisdom, called on me to represent them at the State Assembly. But once again, Obasa has interfered, imposing one of his stooges on our constituency

The dispute is not isolated to Agege Constituency II. Supporters of Gbenga Abiola in Agege Constituency I have also voiced their rejection of the primary results, claiming that no legitimate election took place. This widespread discontent suggests a deeper issue within the party's primary election procedures in Lagos.

Speaker Obasa has, predictably, dismissed these allegations, asserting the transparency of the primaries and challenging aggrieved parties to seek legal recourse. However, these accusations, coming from within the party, highlight the intense political maneuvering and power struggles that often characterize elections in Nigeria's commercial capital. The situation underscores the critical need for robust internal democracy and adherence to party guidelines to ensure fair representation and maintain public trust.

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During the primaries, elections were peacefully conducted across six wards. In the three wards where voting was completed, I was leading with a clear margin. But when news reached Obasa that the people of Agege Constituency II had massively turned out to support me, he ordered his boys to unleash violence in the remaining wards, disrupting the process. He then went ahead to announce his candidate as the winner. This is unacceptable. Absolute power, they say, corrupts absolutely. We, the great people of Agege, cannot allow our constituency to be reduced to Obasa’s family estate