Lagos APC primaries sweep out key Assembly powerbrokers

Several principal officers of the Lagos State House of Assembly lost their return tickets in the All Progressives Congress primaries, signalling one of the most significant internal shake-ups in the legislature since the beginning of the current political cycle, The PUNCH reports.

A review of the APC’s list of candidates for the 2027 Assembly elections, alongside the current composition of the House, shows that some of the chamber’s most powerful figures, including the Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip, will not return under the party’s banner.

Among the biggest casualties is Noheem Babatunde Adams, the Assembly Majority Leader representing Eti-Osa Constituency I. Adams, one of the central figures in the January 2025 leadership crisis that briefly removed Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, did not secure the APC ticket for another term.

Also missing from the final list is Fatai Mojeed, the Assembly’s Chief Whip representing Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I, as well as David Setonji, Deputy Chief Whip and Deputy Majority Leader, Adedamola Kasunmu.

Also lost out in the process is the lawmaker representing Surulere I constituency, Desmond Elliot.

The outcome represents a substantial restructuring of the Assembly hierarchy ahead of 2027, with multiple leadership positions expected to open up simultaneously if the APC retains its dominance in the House.

The primaries also produced a wave of fresh entrants across several constituencies, suggesting a broader generational and structural recalibration within the Lagos APC.

Among the new names appearing on the candidates list are Barakat Odunuga-Bakare in Surulere Constituency I, where she defeated actor-turned-lawmaker Elliot in a controversial primary, as well as Adeseyi Lawal in Ikeja Constituency I, Gbolahan Yishawu in Eti-Osa Constituency II, Mayowa Alakija, Toyin Gafar, Saheed Bankole, Saad Olumoh and Rasheed Shabi.

The list also confirmed the continued political strength of Obasa, who secured the APC ticket for the Agege Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives while candidates aligned with him emerged in both Agege Assembly constituencies.

Despite the turnover among principal officers, some influential figures retained their positions.

Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda is expected to return for Apapa Constituency I, while several incumbents across the state also secured renomination.

The scale of the changes has intensified speculation over what the next leadership structure of the Lagos Assembly could look like after the 2027 elections, particularly following the bitter internal divisions exposed during the 2025 speakership crisis.

Party insiders, however, described the outcome as part of a wider strategy to rebalance interests across blocs within the APC ahead of the next electoral cycle and the looming succession battle tied to the 2027 governorship race.