Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, former Lagos State Deputy Governor (2011 to 2015) and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adeulire; and Minister of Interior under late President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Engr Rauf Aregbesola are locked in a battle for the soul of Alimosho.
Alimosho is the most populous local government area in Nigeria and has always played critical roles in determining winners of elections in Lagos. Alimosho was the decider when Governor Bola Tinubu won his re-election in 2003. Then, Aregbesola, his Commissioner for Works led Tinubu’s electoral foot soldiers in Alimosho.
Ahead of the 2027 polls, there is a battle for the control of Alimosho. Aregbesola, who later became governor of Osun State before serving as a minister, still wields influence in the area but whether his influence is strong as before remains to be seen.
Aregbesola’s recent exit from the All Progressives Congress, APC and landing in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, where he is national secretary, has paved the way for the emergence of other strong forces in Alimosho, who are expected to work for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
These include Obasa, Orelope-Adefulire, and Senator Idiat Adebule, a serving senator for Lagos West.
In Lagos, Alimosho is noted for its political and electoral strength in determining the overall results of elections at every electoral cycle. It is dubbed Tinubu’s Country due to the fact it always delivers huge votes to the ruling party in the state since the reign of Tinubu.
The battle to take charge of the coveted area started since the fall out of Aregbesola who has always held sway in Alimosho for Tinubu, his mentor and godfather, with APC replacing the leadership with Orelope Adefulire, dumping Aregbesola’s stooge, Enilolobo, as well.
Orelope-Adefulire
Orelope-Adefulire is an administrator, social worker, politician and princess from the Alimosho royal family. As a grassroots politician, she is the apex leader of the APC in Alimosho Federal Constituency. She is also a prominent member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, GAC. The GAC is the highest political decision-making body of Lagos State.
It was gathered that Orelope Adefulire had held series of meetings with leaders and stakeholders in Alimosho to resist any form of takeover by the opposition parties such as Aregbesola’s ADC and has embarked on massive mobilization for the re-election of President Tinubu.
Obasa
Obasa, an emerging political force in Tinubu’s camp has also been talking tough about control of Alimosho.
The Lagos speaker, who has been speculated to be eyeing the governorship slot in Lagos, with Alimosho and Lagos West as his base, on a TV programme recently, stressed that the decision on his political future rests with the leadership of the APC.
“As a politician, you must wait for the hierarchy of the party to determine where they want you to go, whether as a lawmaker, governor, or senator. People should not be misled or try to misinterpret the party’s plans. Let all tension calm down. Our main focus is how to move the country forward. President Tinubu is making significant progress day by day,” Obasa explained.
Aregbesola’s factor
Talking of betrayal, Tunji Malomo, a member of ADC in Ifako Ijaiye, at a meeting, took a swipe at Tinubu’s supporters for accusing Aregbesola of betraying the president saying that Tinubu was the first to betray Aregbesola.
“So, whatever Aregbe does now, no one should call him a betrayer. Aregbe had been loyal to Tinubu for almost 30 years. And loyalty is not a one-way street. It is mutual with a natural law of reciprocity.
“The task of rescuing Nigeria has begun and we don’t mind taking prisoners. And that time is now To rescue Nigeria is a task that must be done,
“We are hereby using this medium to bring it to the notice of the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State House of Assembly and the state party chairman that Alimosho has been and is still under the control of Abdullahi Enilolobo. We also use this medium to appeal to the respective authorities to look into the matter and do justice as required by law,” Malomo affirmed.
As part of moves to whittle down Aregbesola’s influence in Alimosho, the State House of Assembly last year, suspended one of his staunch loyalists, the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, Jelili Sulaimon, indefinitely.
Sulaimon was unanimously removed over allegations of misconduct and defiance of the legislative House. His Vice, Akinpelu Johnson, loyal to Tinubu was directed to assume control of the council’s affairs.
Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sanni Okanlawon, who moved the motion for the suspension, said: “It is evident that Jelili Sulaimon has continuously disregarded this House’s authority and failed to comply with directives, showing blatant misconduct. We cannot stand by and allow such chaos to persist.”
Attack on ADC
Aregbesola had earlier in August launched a mass membership drive for ADC in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, calling on Nigerians to vote out APC in the 2027 general elections.
Aregbesola criticised the APC, PDP, and LP, accusing them of failing to deliver good governance and development. He urged Nigerians to embrace the ADC as a fresh alternative capable of “resetting the country on the path of progress.”
He encouraged members to begin grassroots sensitisation, register as voters during the ongoing INEC continuous voter registration, and prepare to “protect their votes.”
ADC leaders present included Lagos State ADC Chairman George Ashiru, Lagos State Influencer Rahman Owokoniran, and Kosofe LGA Influencer Funmi Onita-Coker, who underscored the importance of mass mobilisation ahead of 2027.
Last week, suspected political thugs attacked ADC members during a political gathering in Alimosho, organised by Aregbesola in a church premises. The event was organized to receive and welcome Peter Obi, Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 poll and the party’s Governorship flag bearer in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, to the party.
Shortly after kick off of the programme, miscreants stormed the venue and sacked participants on sight.
The rally was also organized to sensitize residents on the importance of obtaining their Permanent Voter Card, PVC, and urge members to mobilize youths to register during the exercise in preparation ahead for the 2027 general elections in Lagos.
The miscreants who were suspected to be supporters of the ruling APC inflicted varying degrees of injuries on the victims.
Policemen deployed from the State Police Command were obviously overwhelmed as the miscreants went haywire sending everyone in different directions.
Consequently, the opposition coalition accused APC of descending into violence and “acting like a terrorist organisation.”
APC reacts
The Publicity Secretary, Lagos Chapter of the APC, Seye Oladejo, in a swift response dismissed the allegation by ADC against APC. According to Oladejo, “The opposition is certainly not helping our democracy to grow by accusing the ruling party of being the cause of their internal rifts.
“It is a well known fact that the opposition in the country is a house divided against itself.The APC as the ruling party is the greatest stakeholder when it comes to maintaining peace and tranquility in the state. The opposition as presently constituted poses no threat to us and we are not interested in their inability to put their house in order.
“They are already looking for excuses for their imminent defeat come 2027. We vehemently deny any role in the failure of their rally and want to urge them not to throw the state into turmoil.”
APC called on police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the peace of the state is not disrupted by some “political jobbers.”
What is playing out in Alimosho is the struggle to maintain influence by APC, and opposition parties’ plot to hijack power from the incumbent for the control of Lagos in 2027. However, time will tell the tendency that will prevail.
Vanguard News
