Senator Solomon Under Fire As Mushin Group Demands End To Political Imposition:
As the July 12, 2025, local government elections approach, political heat is rising in Mushin. A civic group, Mushin Democratic Front, has lashed out at the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party, especially its Mushin apex leader, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) f consistently imposing candidates on the people. The group described the practice as a “shameless tradition” that stifles internal democracy and sidelines grassroots voices.
Speaking at a press conference held at Benson Hall in the heart of Mushin on Thursday, the group’s convener, Comrade Rasheed Ogunlana, accused Senator Solomon of “running Mushin politics like a family estate” and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) to halt what he described as “this growing cancer of political manipulation.”
According to Ogunlana, the outgoing Local Government Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary to the Local Government, and the Member representing Mushin Constituency in the House of Assembly were all “products of Senator Ganiyu Solomon’s sole decision, without any or with minimal input from party faithful or the people.”
“It has become a norm for Senator GOS to summon Mushin APC leaders to his Magodo mansion, where decisions about our future are taken behind closed doors. He dictates who gets what, who runs where, and who gets silenced. This is not leadership; this is tyranny dressed in agbada,” Ogunlana declared.
He alleged that over 90% of key APC executive positions in Mushin are directly attributed to Solomon’s personal picks, leaving little or no room for democratic engagement or fresh grassroots participation.
The Mushin Democratic Front warned that such impositions are breeding frustration, apathy, and resentment among the electorate. Ogunlana hinted that if the APC fails to address this undemocratic culture, many aggrieved stakeholders might explore alternative political platforms.
“The APC is losing the trust of the people in Mushin. The same faces, the same scripts, the same author. How do you expect innovation, development, or credibility?” Ogunlana asked rhetorically.
The group further emphasized the urgent need for fair and equitable power-sharing, calling for the nomination of individuals with the capacity to give Mushin a new direction.
“Can we honestly compare the development in Mushin to that of Odi-Olowo or Surulere? Our local government needs a new face, and for that to happen, our findings show that the distinguished Senator must take a back seat in the nomination of who leads the council,” he added.
“No one group should dominate others. If the APC must truly serve the people in Mushin, then power must be evenly distributed among all legitimate and recognized blocs. Anything less is injustice,” Ogunlana concluded.
The group also called on LASIEC to ensure transparency in the electoral process, stressing that democracy must not only be preached, but practiced.
They urged President Tinubu, who has deep roots in grassroots politics, to intervene and restore internal democracy in the Lagos APC.
“We call on Mr. President to remember that Mushin has always stood with him. It’s time for the local government to have a fresh and refined leader. The GAC, which is the party’s highest decision-making body, must not sit idle while one man derails democracy in Mushin,” the statement concluded.
With weeks to go before the local government elections, Mushin joins a growing list of places where political manipulation, candidate imposition, and lack of transparency threaten the integrity of the democratic process.