The decision by the Chairman of the Agege Local Government, Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa, to pick Adewale Azeez as the Vice Chairman has caused growing disquiet in Lagos State over the choice for the vacant seat of the number two citizen for the council.
This development, despite the perceived calm in the council, may result in a more severe confrontation between Agege politicians particularly APC members ahead of the 2027 as the party members considered the choice of Azeez as a decision that was made solely by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, without throwing it open to members who have contributed to the successes recorded by the ruling party in the council.
The politicians’ concerns were that the council chairman could not have singularly picked the Vice Chairman without the decision of his father, the Speaker, Obasa, who is a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest organ of the APC, as well as the leader of the party in Agege.
The brewing face-off may become inevitable this year within the party, according to the aggrieved APC members, which would be on the choice of candidates for elective seats for the 2027 election, considering that Obasa’s son now occupies the council chairman’s seat and the immediate past chairman’s son serves as the Vice chairman for Agege LG.
They argued that the 2027 drama would be more intense than what played out during the local government poll when Obasa had his way in strategically positioning and favouring his son ahead of other aspirants for the council chairmanship seat.
Worried by the leadership strategies adopted by Obasa, which they described as autocratic after the demise of Prof. Tunde Samuel, they expressed concerns that Adewale Azeez, who they said is the son of the immediate past chairman who resigned on health grounds less than six months after been sworn in with the incumbent chairman as his vice, is not the right choice for the seat.
The party members’ concerns were that such a position should not have been done without proper notification and awareness for members of the public whose taxes and levies contribute to the administration of the council.
They raised concerns that the council affairs, rather than being done formally, as expected by the law, have become more informal, considering that Obasa is the Council chairman’s father.
The politicians, on Thursday, The Guild learnt that their grievances started days after pictures suddenly appeared online with Azeez sitting beside the chairman during the council management meeting and addressing himself as the Vice Chairman for the council.
To avoid criticism, a member of the APC in Agege, who does not want his name in public to prevent sanction, stated that the selection was not made public for political reasons.
“And the reason for this is to ensure that the chosen person would have a seat well in office before anyone knows. You will see that the council chairman did not celebrate the appointment, nor did the council management.
“Except for the friends of the Vice Chairman and family members who celebrated the appointment in a low-key manner, there was no publicity over the selection of the former Chairman’s son.
“All that everyone discovered was a picture shared on the social media handle of the Vice Chairman announcing his participation in the council management meeting for the week.
“From our findings, we discovered that this was deliberately done by the Speaker to pull wool over the eyes of members who have been aspiring to become the vice chairman of the council.
“For me, I have anticipated this before because I knew who he is and that was why I was not surprised over the new development in Agege Local Government. I believe for sure that this cannot continue forever”, the aggrieved APC member added.
A female member of the party, who identified herself as Adunni, lamented that the death of Prof. Tunde Samuel empowered Obasa to take over the entire structure, handpick candidates and remove at will without giving a full explanation for his decisions.
Adunni, who claimed to have been a staunch supporter of the progressives in Lagos, warned that the leadership strategy being adopted by Obasa could affect the APC’s chances for the 2027 poll.
Another party member from Ayobo, Sam, meanwhile, faulted the members’ criticism, saying the leaders determine who occupies the Vice Chairman’s seat because the 1999 constitution did not specify how the Vice President, Deputy Governor and Vice Chairman should emerge.
He added that the law only specifies that whoever emerges as a candidate should pick a running mate without outlining the process for selection.
“For instance, when Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA) former chairman, Bola Shobowale, died, the Vice Chairman, Oladipupo Oluwaloni, was sworn in; he was not allowed to pick his assistant. The party leaders, including a former lawmaker, Bisi Yusuf, picked who became the Vice chairman for the council.
“And no one grumbled over the choice. So I expect the party members in Agege to accept what their leaders have decided for them”.
The choice of the vice chairman came barely one month after the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, swear in Obasa as the Chairman of Agege Local Government, urging him to prioritise grassroots development and align his administration with the state’s development agenda.
The young Obasa had been acting as council chairman before his confirmation and formal inauguration by the governor.
Obasa’s confirmation as substantive chairman followed the resignation of the former council chairman, Tunde Azeez, who stepped down due to persistent health challenges.
Azeez’s resignation letter was read during plenary at the Agege Council Chamber, after which councillors unanimously confirmed Obasa, who had been acting in the role.
Obasa had earlier indicated interest in contesting the chairmanship ahead of the 2025 local government elections but was initially dropped amid opposition to his candidacy.
