{
  "id": 8122329,
  "title": "Ex-Lagos LG chairman, aspirant defend APC exit, secure APM assembly tickets",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/ex-lagos-lg-chairman-aspirant-defend-apc-exit-secure-apm-assembly",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T23:18:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/ex-lagos-lg-chairman-aspirant-defend-apc-exit-secure-apm-assembly-tickets/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ganiyu Egunjobi, a former chairman of Agege Local Government Area in Lagos State, and Azeez Yusuf, a former aspirant in Agege Constituency II, have denied rumors linking their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa. The two made this clarification in a joint statement released to PUNCH Online on Thursday.\n\nEgunjobi and Yusuf, who initially contested the tickets of the APC for Agege Constituencies I and II, respectively, switched allegiance to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) after the APC primary results. In the primary, Glenga Abiola was declared the winner in Agege Constituency I, while Yusuf lost to Sakiru Enimakure. Despite these results, the former APC members insisted on their victory and attributed their defection to a perceived injustice within the party.\n\nAccording to the statement, Egunjobi and Yusuf tried to address their concerns within the APC by submitting petitions and seeking redress. However, they were disappointed when the party leadership did not offer reconciliation or a satisfactory resolution to their grievances. Consequently, they decided to defect and stand for election under the APM platform independently.\n\nObasa's alleged role in their defection was denied, with the duo clarifying that the decision to leave the APC and contest under the APM was solely their choice and was made after careful consideration of their experiences within the party. They emphasized that defections between political parties are not uncommon in Nigeria, citing former State Minister of Defense Musiliu Obanikoro as an example.",
  "summary": "A former Agege LG chairman, Ganiyu Egunjobi, and an aspirant, Azeez Yusuf, have defended their exit from the APC after securing APM assembly tickets. Read More: https://punchng.com/ex-lagos-lg-chairman-aspirant-defend-apc-exit-secure-apm-assembly-tickets/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Ex-Lagos LG chairman, aspirant defend APC exit, secure APM assembly tickets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/ex-lagos-lg-chairman-aspirant-defend-apc-exit-secure-apm-assembly-8122750",
        "published": "2026-09-17T23:20:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}