Politics
THAT LAGOS APC MAY SURVIVE AHEAD OF 2027
THAT LAGOS APC MAY SURVIVE AHEAD OF 2027
By Animashaun Ogundele
Sahara Weekly Reports That It did not start right now, but what has the tendency to finally destroy the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has become a foetus that could be birthed before the 2027 general election. The party in the state is still trying to strengthen-up from its loss at the presidential election of 2023. That was, indeed, a shocking output from which many fingers point at the leadership of the party in the State led by Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
A review of the 2023 election by some members of the party showed that the usual steps to victory for the party was jettisoned under Ojelabi, whose exco decided to hire consultants. The party had always incorporated all the ward chairmen for mobilisation during electioneering. It was not done. And the result? A strike below the spine that got all and sundry bracing up urgently ahead of the governorship election that followed.
It is known the world over that one beautiful goal of a political party is winning elections but this is supposed to be through an effective membership drive. Thus, the more the members of a political party, the more strength the party garners. But in the case of the Lagos APC, the party has embarked on what is now termed ‘a weeding spree’, an action that has caused anger and opposition by some members. Currently, the exco is now said to be thriving in confusion following an escalation of an action it thought was close-knit.
THE BEGINNING
What is now becoming a danger to the party started on Monday, June 24, 2024, when Ojelabi reportedly met with stakeholders in the APC in the Alimosho area of the state. Alimosho had been challenged by a leadership crisis which is believed to result from loyalty to two groups – Justice Forum of Nigeria and The Mandate Movement of Nigeria – within the party. Ojelabi, a member of the Justice Forum, had reportedly caused suspicion when he was said to have invited members of his group in Alimosho led by former Deputy Governor Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. Also invited was Abdullahi Ayinde Enilolobo, an ought-to-be member of the Mandate Movement, but whose tendencies favour the Justice Forum. With the news filtering out that Enilolobo was invited, suspicion took centre-stage. The members of the Mandate Movement marched on the party secretariat and met a defiant chairman who initially declined honouring them until he realised how resolute the protesters were. The protesters wanted to be part of the meeting because they did not trust Enilolobo, whose antics, they claimed, led to the defeat of the party in the presidential election of 2023.
However, while the meeting lasted, a separate template was being hatched by the exco. In just 24 hours after the meeting, some leaders of The Mandate Movement in Alimosho were summoned by the police in Alagbon based on a petition on behalf of Ojelabi. Among other allegations, they were accused of cyber stalking, threat to life and illegal possession of firearms. The police found nothing against the leaders.
On July 1, 2024, the party, through its secretary, Dr. Adeola Jokomba, sent a letter to the ward chairmen in Alimosho to activate Article 21 of the party constitution “to investigate the said occurrence of 24th June, 2024.” This letter came with a pre-assumed list of those to be investigated, many of whom were said not to be at the party secretariat on the day of the protest. The letter had claimed that the protesters were armed and unleashed violence on the chairman. This, meanwhile, is against the explanation that the same chairman held a fruitful meeting with them after his initial stance.
One of the suspended members, who said he received the letter through Whatsapp explained that Article 21 of the party constitution emphasises fair hearing, but “without even inviting us for a defence, we suddenly started seeing our suspension letters on social media. Some letters were sent on July 3rd while some people got theirs on July 5th. In fact, what they did was to profile all members of The Mandate Movement for suspension. In Ward A of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA alone, 54 members of the party were issued suspension letters. Using some local government council chairmen, this same suspension has been extended to some political appointees at the local government levels suspected to be loyal to The Mandate Movement of Nigeria.
A PARTY WITHOUT MEETINGS
First, a part of the grievance within the party stems from a complaint that since the 2023 elections, the party has hardly held general ward or local government meetings as it used to happen. General Ward meetings have only been held four times while LGA meetings have been held just three times. Meetings with LGA party chairmen were held only three times while no meeting has been held between him and all the 376 ward chairmen since he became the state chairman. The members are now left in limbo.
One issue pointing against Ojelabi is that under his leadership, the party still grapples with two parallel excos in the Mainland area of the state. According to insiders, the issue had been resolved by the last state chairman of the party. However, to shore up the strength of the Justice Forum, he was said to have declared that he was reviewing the resolutions following fresh petitions. “Now, there are two factions of the Mainland exco of the party. During the election and up till now, he uses his friends and cohorts as consultants thus jettisoning the party structures,” an aggrieved member said noting that APC canvassers and some agents of the party during the election have not been paid till now.
Aside from this fact, insider sources say polling unit committees set up to administer voting during the elections have mostly remained unpaid till now. Reliably gathered, some ward chairmen had at a time complained to the Governor who, in turn, told them to ask from Ojelabi how the latter expended the N2 billion out of donated campaign funds set aside for that purpose. Confronted, Ojelabi reportedly said he was not aware that his consultants had not paid most Polling Unit committee members. He promised to look into the matter. Since then, those affected say they have remained unpaid.
Checks show that the supposed consultants are not just party members who should ordinarily contribute like others to the party’s progress, they are also drawn from his Justice Forum. They include two former commissioners, one from Agege and the other from Alimosho, and the third a former head of one of the parastatals in Lagos. A general belief among party members is that the supposed consultants are channels through which party funds are piped out of the secretariat by the chairman.
Members continue to grudge over his strategy which they claim is a major reason APC lost the presidential election in Lagos. Ojelabi lost the presidential and National Assembly elections in his federal constituency. He lost all the polling units around his Iba/New Site residence too to the Labour Party. A strongly held view among party members is that the APC under his watch would hardly match the fortunes recorded under Chief Henry Ajomale and Tunde Balogun, who once held sway as chairmen. As it is, party members are left confused. They say it does not look like there are structures in place to begin to smarten up from the last election as activities at the APC secretariat are at their lowest ebb.
ONE-MAN SHOW
For some members of the State Executive Committee, the APC secretariat on Acme Road is run more like it is handled by a sole administrator and a member of the party lamented: “you either shape in or fall out. You don’t only fall out if you oppose, you also fall out of every favour. Whatever opportunity you have to make a contribution, the chairman thinks he is doing you a favour.” According to them members, no other member of the exco has a say in the running of the party. And for his decisions? They are final once he takes them. No recourse to anybody. An evidence of this, they pointed out, is how he had allegedly constantly cowed and intimidated the party secretary and treasurer frustrating them at will. It is a gossip within the secretariat that anybody who tries to oppose him should be ready to face frustration beyond limit.
“His word is law oh! That was how he orchestrated the suspension of an exco member leading to other exco members being mindful, conscious, and scared of making inputs no matter how important and beneficial such would be,” an aggrieved party member within the secretariat complained.
In fact, it is claimed that one reason attributed to the loss of the party at the 2023 election was that Ojelabi “moved the secretariat from Acme to an unknown location making it a Herculean task for party chiefs, LGA and ward party chairmen who had complaints about developments during the election from reaching or accessing him.
PARTY LARGESSE/SHARING FORMULA
One baggage that Pastor Ojelabi carries on his shoulders is the allegation that his leadership makes sure that largesse and palliatives to party members are skewed in favour of the Justice Forum within his constituency and the state. This is believed to have happened consistently. Examples are said to have been noted in the federal and state governments’ palliatives and cash transfers. One such occasion occurred when he was said to have under-declared the number of palliative slots given to the party at a meeting he held with his exco members. Some of the exco members at the meeting could not stomach this. They openly criticised him at the meeting.
AMBITION 2027
Those kicking against Ojelabi’s current style of leadership say he is tilted to achieving an acclaimed goal of becoming the running mate to Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat in 2027. Engineer Hamzat is believed to be eyeing the governorship seat and according to insiders, Ojelabi has mapped out his own plan ahead of the election and has begun “hatching the eggs” by cajoling council chairmen to either belong to the Justice Forum overseen by Hamzat or get their fingers burnt.
CHALLENGE BEFORE OJELABI
A major headache before the party chairman and the exco currently is how to effectively mop up the suspension letters issued out already. It was learnt that leaders within the Governance Advisory Council had blamed him for his shoddy handling of the protest. He was also said to have been reminded that as chairman, he should allow democracy thrive in every of his actions. Coincidentally, while the intervention by the GAC was ongoing, the suspension letters had been released creating for difficulties in retrieving them. The only option left to the chairman was for an outright public denial of the order suspending the members. A press release was issued by the party in this regard, but those already suspended, said the letters sent to the ward chairmen ordering investigation as well as the suspension letters to the members were proofs that the Ojelabi meant to ostracise them. There is no doubting the fact that despite these challenges reeled out, APC in Lagos remains strong in comparison with other political organisations. However, this health, though fragile, is laced with injuries. What is left to be done is for well-meaning party leaders to salvage the party, heal these injuries and make it hale and hearty again.
Ogundele, a political analyst and APC supporter, writes from Lagos.
Politics
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
The Asiwaju Network has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately disengage underperforming ministers who failed to deliver their polling units and wards during the just-concluded bye-elections.
The group also urged a cabinet reshuffle to inject fresh energy and ensure that only those who can add political and governance value remain in the Federal Executive Council.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja and signed by its president, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Dandoka, the Asiwaju Network said the results of the elections were a litmus test that exposed the political weaknesses of some ministers entrusted with strategic national assignments.
At Babura Kofar Arewa Primary School in Jigawa State, where the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, cast his vote, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 308 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which managed only 112.
Badaru, a former governor of Jigawa and APC chieftain, left the venue without addressing journalists after casting his vote amid heavy security presence.
Dandoka said it was troubling that, despite his high office, the Defence Minister could not secure victory in his polling unit.
He argued that such political setbacks undermine the strength of the APC and the credibility of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope government.
“This defeat is both embarrassing and unacceptable. A minister who cannot win his polling unit cannot claim to possess the political capital required to defend the APC or promote the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. President Tinubu must act quickly to weed out weak links in his cabinet and replace them with men and women who have proven grassroots capacity,” Dandoka stated.
The group noted that Badaru was not alone in this failure, stressing that another minister from Jigawa and one from Enugu State also lost their wards and polling units.
According to the group, these developments point to a worrying trend of disconnect between certain ministers and their political bases.
“Ministers are not merely technocrats. They are political leaders of the party in their states and zones. If they cannot hold their homes together, then they do not deserve to hold on to strategic national offices. The bye-elections have sent a clear message, and it is that some ministers have lost relevance and electoral value,” the statement reads.
The Asiwaju Network maintained that the APC’s strength lies in grassroots mobilisation, and any minister unable to inspire loyalty within his immediate constituency is a liability.
Dandoka emphasised that President Tinubu’s success in governance must be matched with political consolidation, which requires capable and electorally grounded cabinet members.
“President Tinubu has been bold with tough decisions on subsidy reforms, the economy, and security. Nigerians are beginning to see the fruits of those reforms. But he must also be bold enough to reshuffle his cabinet. A government of results cannot afford ministers who are passengers. The President needs proven drivers of the Renewed Hope vision,” Dandoka said.
The group also commended loyal APC members and supporters who defied intimidation and attempts at rigging in Jigawa and Enugu, saying their resilience was the true strength of the ruling party.
“These members stood firm when those at the top failed to inspire confidence. They turned out in their numbers to defend the APC’s relevance even when some of their supposed leaders abandoned them. These grassroots soldiers of democracy must never be taken for granted,” Dandoka added.
The Asiwaju Network further urged President Tinubu to take the bye-election results as a warning, cautioning that retaining non-performing ministers would embolden the opposition and demoralise party loyalists.
“The message from Jigawa and Enugu is clear: the APC cannot continue to reward failure. A minister who cannot secure a few streets in his ward has no business in the Federal Executive Council. Mr President must urgently rejig his cabinet or risk carrying dead weight into future electoral contests,” the coalition warned.
Reaffirming the group’s loyalty to Tinubu’s leadership, Dandoka said Nigerians expect a government that rewards competence and accountability, not excuses and political failures.
“President Tinubu has the people’s mandate. He must not allow weak ministers to drag down his vision. A decisive cabinet reshuffle now will send a strong signal that the Renewed Hope government is serious about performance, delivery, and results,” he declared.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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Aare Adetola Emmanuel King Congratulates Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on Election Victory
The Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, has congratulated Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on her resounding victory in the just-concluded by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
In a goodwill message issued by him, he described the victory as “a historic moment for the Remo people, coming at a time when the constituency yearns for a leader with vision, courage, and genuine commitment to service.”
He noted that the outcome of the election was an attestation to the trust and confidence reposed in Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji by the people, adding that her sterling qualities, integrity, accessibility, and compassion for the grassroots had endeared her to the electorate.
“The overwhelming support you garnered at the polls is proof that you are the right voice at the right time to carry the aspirations of Remo to the national stage,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the by-election followed the painful demise of the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ijaya), Aare Adetola Emmanuel King said Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji’s emergence symbolizes the continuity of purposeful representation. He expressed confidence that she would not only sustain the legacy of her predecessor but also surpass it with new energy, innovative ideas, and progressive leadership.
The Adron Group Chairman further prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and compassion for the Member-Elect as she assumes office, expressing confidence that her tenure will usher in meaningful development, economic empowerment, and greater opportunities for the people of Remo Federal Constituency.
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