Obasa’s son told to step down as APC clears 418 aspirants for LG election

Abdulganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, has opted out of the Agege Local Government chairmanship contest following the intervention of leaders of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to reports, the Speaker’s son was absent from the screening of aspirants, which was conducted between Tuesday and Thursday last week. In a list released on Saturday, May 3, 2025, the Lagos APC said 455 aspirants were screened, while 418 were cleared to contest the council election scheduled for July 12, 2025. 14 aspirants were disqualified for lack of PVC and other electoral faults, while 23 others were either absent, unsuccessful, or withdrew from the race. ALSO READ: Obasa vs Lagos lawmakers: Court hands down new ruling on speaker’s removal case However, Abdulganiyu’s name was conspicuously absent from the document signed by Babatunde Ogala, SAN, the chairman of the Screening Committee, and Nurudeen Bamidele, the secretary. It was gathered that some APC leaders had prevailed upon the Speaker to convince his son to drop out of the contest over concerns that his participation may trigger a crisis in the party. “Leaders felt that his candidature will cause crisis in the party, so he was asked to step down, and his father agreed,” an insider told Sunday Punch. Recall that the incumbent Vice Chairman of Agege LGA, Oluwagbenga Abiola, had announced his withdrawal from the race in deference to his political leader. Abiola, a political protégé of the Speaker, says his decision was borne out of his loyalty to Obasa, denying that he was forced to step down for Abdulganiyu. The APC primary election, which will be held across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in the state, is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025. Commenting on the screening, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, said the process was thoroughly conducted. ALSO READ: Tinubu settles Lagos Assembly rift, backs Obasa as Speaker “The APC Lagos State qualifications are very clear for the position of chairmanship. Every qualification will be checked. For instance, the West African Examinations Council will confirm each candidate’s result. If the documents presented are accurate, there is no reason for the person to be disqualified. “There is a committee that will oversee the turnout of petitions on the screening results. It is an opportunity for whoever feels otherwise,” Oladejo said.