The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has withdrawn his son, Abdulganiyu Obasa, from the Agege Local Government chairmanship race following pressure from party stakeholders and direct intervention from President Bola Tinubu.
The decision comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the perceived imposition of the Speaker’s son as the preferred candidate for the July 12, 2025, local government election. Multiple petitions and protests had trailed Abdulganiyu’s candidacy, with party members accusing Obasa of attempting to handpick his successor in Agege.
Reliable sources confirm that the Speaker made the announcement shortly after returning from Abuja, where he held a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. According to presidency insiders, the President explicitly directed Obasa to withdraw his son from the race, emphasizing the need for a level playing field for all aspirants.
“President Tinubu made it clear that the party’s internal democracy must be respected,” revealed a top APC chieftain familiar with the discussions. “He warned that any attempt to impose candidates would damage the APC’s credibility in Lagos and create unnecessary tension among loyal members.”
The presidential intervention appears to have been decisive. Abdulganiyu was conspicuously absent during the APC’s screening exercise for Agege chairmanship aspirants at the party secretariat in Ikeja, despite earlier mobilization efforts. The Speaker has now instructed other aspirants who initially stepped down for his son to resume their campaigns and purchase nomination forms.
This development has significantly altered the political landscape in Agege, where Abdulganiyu had already launched an aggressive grassroots campaign. The young aspirant had reportedly distributed cash and food items to voters while enjoying support from youth groups and some party leaders.
A senior APC member in Agege praised President Tinubu’s timely intervention: “This is democracy at work. The President has shown he won’t tolerate any form of imposition, no matter how highly placed the individual involved might be. The party belongs to all members, not just a select few.”
With the Speaker’s son out of the race, political observers anticipate a more competitive primary election in Agege as other aspirants now have renewed hope of securing the party’s ticket. The incident has also sparked broader conversations about political dynasty-building and internal democracy within Nigeria’s ruling party.
As at press time, neither Speaker Obasa nor his son had made any public statement regarding the withdrawal. Party officials confirm that screening of other Agege chairmanship aspirants will continue as scheduled ahead of the primaries.
