The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has expelled the former Chairman of Agege Local Government, Ganiyu Egunjobi, and a former Agege Constituency II aspirant, Azeez Yusuf, after the two defected to the Allied Peoples Movement.
The state APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, disclosed the decision in a statement shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday. He accused Egunjobi and Yusuf of engaging in anti-party activities and violating the obligations of party membership.
Both men had participated in the APC primary elections for Agege Constituencies I and II, respectively, but failed to emerge as the party’s candidates. They subsequently secured the APM tickets to contest the same State House of Assembly seats.
Their expulsion came shortly after the two politicians explained their decision to quit the APC, insisting that the move was taken independently after what they described as “grave injustice” in the conduct and aftermath of the party’s primaries.
In his statement, Ojelabi said the former members had disregarded the outcome of the APC’s internal electoral process after failing to obtain the party’s tickets.
He said, “The Lagos APC views this conduct as a clear repudiation of the obligations of party membership and an unacceptable act of anti-party activity and disloyalty.”
According to Ojelabi, the resignations submitted by the two politicians were “nothing more than a belated and face-saving attempt to pre-empt the consequences of their actions.”
“The Party’s position is that membership of the APC cannot be treated as a convenient political garment to be worn during a primary and discarded immediately after an unsuccessful outcome,” he said.
The APC chairman maintained that the party’s activities were governed by established rules and constitutional provisions. He said members who were unsuccessful in internal contests were expected either to accept the results or seek redress through recognised channels.
“A member who loses an internal contest is expected to accept the outcome or pursue legitimate avenues of redress provided by the Party and the law-not to undermine the Party by seeking an alternative platform within the same electoral cycle,” Ojelabi said.
He added that the disciplinary action against Egunjobi and Yusuf was taken pursuant to Article 9(5)(II) of the APC Constitution, as amended in 2022.
Ojelabi also linked the decision to the 2026 electoral framework, stressing the need for political parties and their members to comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and regulations issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Consequently, neither individual has the authority to speak for, represent, negotiate on behalf of, or otherwise transact any business with any person, organisation or institution in the name of the Lagos State APC or the All Progressives Congress,” he said.
He subsequently called on APC members, supporters, stakeholders and members of the public to recognise the new status of the two politicians and avoid treating them as representatives or authorised agents of the party.
The expulsion came after Egunjobi and Yusuf joined the APM and secured the party’s nominations for the Agege State Constituencies I and II seats, respectively.
PUNCH Online had reported on September 18 that the two politicians rejected claims that their decision to leave the APC was connected to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa had no hand whatsoever in our decision to leave the APC and contest under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The decision was entirely ours and was taken independently after careful consideration of our experiences within the party,” they said.
They explained that they had continued to remain members of the APC despite encountering political difficulties but eventually decided to leave following what they described as “grave injustice” and the absence of what they considered meaningful reconciliation by the party leadership after the contentious primaries.
The former APC members further stated that they had filed petitions and pursued internal avenues for redress but were dissatisfied with the party’s response, saying the leadership neither invited them for reconciliation nor provided a resolution they considered satisfactory to their grievances.
