APC Expels Two Agege Aspirants as Egunjobi, Yusuf Insist They Resigned Earlier

A fresh political dispute is unfolding in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State following the expulsion of two former All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants, Chief Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and Mr Azeez Yusuf.

The Lagos State chapter of the APC announced the expulsion of the two politicians over alleged anti-party activities and disloyalty after they reportedly moved to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) following their failure to secure the party’s tickets for the 2026 Lagos State House of Assembly election.

However, Egunjobi and Yusuf have disputed the timing and basis of the action, saying they had already resigned their membership of the APC in July, weeks before the party announced their expulsion.

The former APC members described the September 23 announcement as belated, arguing that the party could not expel them after they had voluntarily left its fold.

The dispute has added another layer to the political contest surrounding the two Agege constituencies ahead of the forthcoming election.

Egunjobi contested the APC nomination for Agege Constituency I, while Yusuf sought the party’s ticket for Agege Constituency II.

In its statement, the Lagos APC said the two aspirants refused to accept the outcome of its internal nomination process and subsequently obtained tickets to contest under another political platform.

The party maintained that such conduct amounted to anti-party activity and violated the responsibilities expected of APC members.

According to the party, members who are unsuccessful in internal contests are expected to accept the outcome or seek redress through the appropriate party and legal channels instead of moving to another political platform during the same electoral cycle.

The APC said its decision was taken in accordance with Article 9(5)(II) of the party’s constitution, as amended in 2022.

It also rejected the claim that Egunjobi and Yusuf had resigned earlier, describing their purported resignations as a belated attempt to avoid disciplinary action.

The Lagos APC further stated that the two politicians were no longer members of the party and therefore had no authority to speak, negotiate or conduct any business on its behalf.

Egunjobi, Yusuf Reject APC’s Position

Responding to the development, Egunjobi and Yusuf maintained that the APC’s announcement did not change the circumstances surrounding their departure.

They said they formally resigned from the party in July 2026, several weeks before the September 23 expulsion announcement.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we resigned from the APC in July 2026, weeks before the party announced our purported expulsion on September 23,” the duo said.

They added that they subsequently joined the APM, noting that their resignation and defection had already been made public.

The two politicians also disputed the APC’s account of the nomination process, claiming that they emerged victorious in their respective constituency primaries but were later denied the tickets.

They said they made several attempts to resolve the matter within the APC, including submitting petitions, engaging party leaders and addressing the issue publicly.

According to them, their inability to obtain a satisfactory resolution eventually informed their decision to leave the party.

They therefore described the September 23 expulsion announcement as an attempt to present a different version of events after their departure had already taken place.

“It is therefore difficult to see the September 23 announcement as anything other than an attempt to rewrite a political history that had already moved on,” they said.

Defection Does Not Mean Abandoning Tinubu, Others

Egunjobi and Yusuf also rejected the suggestion that their decision to leave the APC amounted to political betrayal.

They pointed to previous instances of politicians moving between political parties in Nigeria, arguing that party defections have long been part of the country’s political landscape.

The duo cited the political movements of several politicians who have crossed party lines at different times, including individuals who later returned to the APC or continued to work with its candidates.

They consequently accused the APC of applying different standards when assessing political defections.

The former aspirants insisted that their decision was driven by their grievances over the nomination process and should not be interpreted as opposition to the party’s leaders or political interests.

They further declared their continued support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Senator Idiat Adebule and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa.

According to them, they remain committed to the Tinubu-Hamzat political project in Agege despite their decision to contest under the APM platform.

“We left a party; we did not abandon our principles, our relationships or the people we believe in,” they said.

The two politicians also called on their supporters to remain calm and focused as they continue their political activities under the APM.

The latest development has opened a new phase in the political contest in Agege, with the APC maintaining that its disciplinary rules must be respected, while Egunjobi and Yusuf insist that they had already left the party before the expulsion was announced.