By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Federal Constituency of Lagos State has affirmed High Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Barrister Azeez Oladapo Ninalowo as winners of the party’s primary elections for Agege State Constituencies I and II respectively.
The primaries were held on Wednesday, 20 May, 2026 across five wards in Agege Constituency 01 under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where Egunjobi, a former Chairman of Agege Local Government, was declared winner with 9,132 votes.
The exercise, which also produced results for adjoining constituencies, was monitored by electoral officers and conducted amid competing claims of victory by rival camps.
The outcome was later reviewed at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Thursday, 21 May, 2026 in the area, attended by traditional rulers, Baales, and leaders of traders and artisans’ unions.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, APC Chieftain, Alhaji Adisa Safari Adaranijo said the gathering was convened to assess the conduct and outcome of the primaries across the constituency, stressing that the process had been peaceful.
He dismissed reports questioning Egunjobi’s victory, describing them as misleading and unfounded.
“As you can see, we just rose from our meeting whose purpose was to discuss the outcome of our primaries so far. We thank God it has been free of violence and met our expectations as leaders,” Adaranijo said.
He added, “We have been taken aback by beer parlour and hair salon gossip in which some clowns in certain quarters are misrepresenting the fact of the outcome of Agege Constituency 01 poll, which the former council chairman, Egunjobi, won in full view of INEC officials and other electoral officers who conducted the election. What remains the fact is that Egunjobi won hands down while the fiction in circulation claims Abiola is the winner.”
Adaranijo also criticised the former Vice Chairman of the council, Gbenga Michael Abiola, alleging that his absence from party activities weakened his standing within the party.
He said, “How would someone who from the time his ambition to succeed Egunjobi as council chairman was scuttled developed zero emotion for party members and leaders, playing no part in its activities, win the party’s primary? APC is too formidable to tolerate political truancy.”
He further alleged that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, played a role in Abiola’s political rise.
“If not for the benevolence of Obasa, Abiola was nobody. The Speaker made him his Special Assistant, later Agege Council Sole Administrator, from where he became the Council SLG and subsequently the Vice-Chairman. It is unfortunate that he is now biting the finger that fed him at the prodding of some meddlesome interlopers.”
Reacting on the sidelines of the party’s governorship primary held at Agege Stadium on Thursday,21 May, 2026 Obasa dismissed allegations of internal dissent within the party, insisting that participation remained key to membership legitimacy.
“When you are a member of a party, you should always participate in all its activities. Why would anyone who isn’t here claim to be part of us?” he asked.
He added, “You can’t be absent from all primaries and still claim that you are with us. We have conducted House of Representatives, Senate, House of Assembly, and governorship primaries, yet some disgruntled party members have consistently stayed away. It is not possible. They are not part of us.”
The APC leadership maintained that Egunjobi’s victory stands valid, dismissing counter-claims as politically motivated and urging party members to remain united following the conclusion of the primaries.
