LAGOS MAINLAND APC REJECT HOUSE OF REPS MEMBER, 73-YEAR OLD FORMER COUNCIL BOSS
A faction within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos Mainland Local Government has rejected the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun, and a 73-year-old former council chairman, Hon. Rasheedat Omolola Essien, following a shadow primary conducted ahead of the 2027 general election.
The exercise, organised under the aegis of Mainland Voice (MV), adopted a collegiate system to select a preferred aspirant from within the group for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency ticket.
A total of 82 delegates participated in the process, which featured four aspirants: Oshun; Essien; Hon. Kazeem K. Omolaja; and Mr. Sawyer.
At the end of the voting, Omolaja emerged as the preferred candidate with 44 votes, while Essien secured 26 votes. Oshun polled eight votes, and Sawyer received two votes, with an additional two votes declared void.
Members of the group described the process as free, fair and transparent, noting that the outcome reflected the prevailing sentiment within the party structure in the area.
Speaking on the outcome, sources within the group said the poor showing of the incumbent lawmaker was linked to dissatisfaction among party members over his performance during his about two decades in legislative office. They also cited his recent loss at his ward and polling unit to a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last local government election as further evidence of waning grassroots support.
Similarly, Essien’s defeat was attributed by party insiders to concerns over her age and health status. The former council boss, who has held several positions within local government administration, including chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, was said to be facing health challenges that could affect her capacity to effectively contest and serve.
The development comes amid growing political tension in Lagos Mainland, historically considered a flashpoint during electoral contests.
Meanwhile, residents of Ebute-Metta (West), under the platform of Lagos Mainland (West) Local Government stakeholders, have raised concerns over alleged marginalisation in the area’s political arrangement. In a recent statement, the group lamented that since 1999, the community has not produced any elected official or political appointee despite its contributions to the party’s electoral victories.
They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and the state leadership of the APC to address what they described as longstanding injustice and ensure equitable political representation across the local government.
