By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
No fewer than 12 sitting members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have lost their bids to secure return tickets in the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, in what political observers describe as one of the most dramatic shake-ups in the history of the Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Among those who failed to make the party’s final list are three principal officers of the House — Majority Leader Hon. Noheem Adams, Chief Whip Hon. Fatai Mojeed, and Deputy Chief Whip Hon. Setonji David — a development expected to significantly alter the power dynamics within the legislature after the next election cycle.
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The outcome of the primaries, conducted across Lagos State, also saw several influential lawmakers and political figures edged out despite their incumbency and long-standing influence within the ruling party.
Other lawmakers who lost their return tickets include Desmond Elliot of Surulere Constituency I, Gbolahan Ogunleye of Ikorodu Constituency I, Lanre Afini of Lagos Island I, Stephen Ogundipe of Oshodi/Isolo I, Obafemi Saheed of Kosofe II, Bonu Solomon of Badagry II, Emmanuel Oloto of Ifako-Ijaiye II, Jubreel Abdulkareem of Agege II, and Apata Samuel of Somolu Constituency II.
The defeat of Gbolahan Ogunleye, son of former Deputy Governor and Governance Advisory Council (GAC) member Pa Abiodun Ogunleye, has particularly drawn attention within Lagos political circles, reflecting what many party insiders describe as a changing political climate where grassroots acceptance and internal party negotiations now outweigh political pedigree.
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In contrast, several lawmakers secured return tickets to contest the 2027 general election under the APC platform. Those who emerged successful include Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, Gbolahan Yishawu of Eti-Osa I, Abiodun Tobun of Epe I, Sylvester Ogunkelu of Epe II, Temitope Adedeji of Ifako-Ijaiye I, Ladi Ajomale of Oshodi/Isolo II, Suraju Tijani of Ojo II, Ege Olusegun of Ojo I, and Age-Sulaimon Wale Rauf of Amuwo-Odofin II.
The primaries also produced surprises in Agege, regarded as one of the political strongholds of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Candidates reportedly backed by the Speaker in both Agege I and Agege II failed to clinch the party’s tickets. Gbenga Abiola Agbelebu emerged victorious in Agege I, while Sule Shakiru Akindele secured the Agege II ticket.
Speaker Obasa himself did not seek re-election, just as Mosunmola Sangodara of Surulere II also stayed out of the contest.
The Merit Newspaper reports that the political analysts say the outcome of the primaries demonstrates a gradual shift in the internal politics of the Lagos APC, where incumbency no longer guarantees automatic return tickets.
According to observers, the primaries reflected growing demands within the party for stronger grassroots engagement, constituency performance, loyalty to local party structures, and broader acceptability among stakeholders.
“The APC primaries in Lagos have shown that the era of automatic tickets for lawmakers may be fading,” a party chieftain familiar with the exercise said. “Delegates and party leaders are becoming more deliberate about candidate selection based on political value and local acceptance.”
The loss of three principal officers in a single primary cycle is expected to reshape the leadership configuration of the Assembly and potentially influence alliances ahead of the inauguration of the next legislature in 2027.
For many political watchers, the development further confirms that the APC primary election in Lagos often serves as the defining political battle, given the party’s dominance in the state’s electoral landscape.
With new entrants and returning lawmakers expected to emerge from the process, attention is now shifting to how the evolving political calculations within the ruling party will shape governance, legislative leadership, and party supremacy in Lagos ahead of the next general election.
