Lagos speaker’s supporters kick against expulsion after APM defection

The political unrest in the Agege local branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) escalated on Wednesday as two prominent figures, Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Barrister Azeez Oladapo Yusuf, were expelled from the party. These individuals had recently switched allegiances to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and contested as its candidates in the Lagos House of Assembly elections for Constituencies I and II.

However, both Egunjobi and Yusuf vehemently denied the expulsion, maintaining that they had already resigned from the APC prior to the announcement. Eyewitnesses report that they felt compelled to leave the party due to their dissatisfaction with the primary elections and their subsequent denial of party tickets. The expulsion was officially announced by the Lagos APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, who cited the party's 2022 amended constitution as justification.

According to Ojelabi, members who lost internal party contests were expected to accept the results or seek recognized avenues for redress within the party. Yet, Egunjobi and Yusuf refuted these claims, asserting that they had resigned from the APC in July, weeks before the expulsion was officially announced. They explained that their grievances stemmed from the disputed primary elections for Agege Constituencies I and II, where they won but were subsequently denied party recognition.

Despite seeking redress through petitions and representations to party leaders, their complaints were largely unanswered, leading them to seek alternative political representation through the APM.