The Lagos State council polls have come and gone and the winners will soon take oath of office and assume duty in their respective councils.
It has been jubilation and dancing for the winners particularly members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who won all the 57 Council Chairmanship seats and 375 out of the 376 Councillorship seats.
The lone Councillorship seat lost by the APC was in Ward D of the Yaba Local Council Development Area.
It was won by Babatunde Dosunmu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Thegazellenews.com detailed its reporter to Yaba to investigate what really happened.
Our correspondent discovered that the APC lost to anti-party activities and ambition of its leaders in the council area.
It was discovered that Dosunmu was a member of the APC who won his initial co in Councillorship seat on the platform of the ruling party.
This medium discovered that even in 2021, his candidacy raised serious controversy among party faithful.
“He has a reputation for being a hard guy, some members don’t like him. But the now House of Representatives member who was then in the House of Assembly supported him. Eventually, Dosunmu was given the ticket,” Adeola Adebambo, a member of the party in Yaba, told our correspondent.
Thegazellenews.com learnt that no sooner had Dosunmu assumed office that he allegedly started picking quarrel with the Council Chairman, Kayode Adejare Omiyale and other party leaders.
This, according to our source, was the main reason the House of Representatives member withdrew his support for him.
Another party member told thegazellenews.com, “the House of Assembly had to intervene in the matter before peace can reign”.
Our correspondent learnt further that when the local government elections were approaching, many party leaders decided not to allow Dosunmu to come for the second term because of his alleged behaviour.
“But politicians have their ways and their ways are always funny. While a decision was taken not to give Dosunmu a second term, some leaders reneged and they are from the council Chairman’s group. They met met him behind and encouraged him to take the PDP’s ticket, assuring him of their support,” Abdullah AbdulQuadir, an Arewa member of the party told thegazellenews.com
According to him, it was obvious that an anti-party machinery was in play and it reared its head during the elections.
During the elections, some APC leaders in Ward D personally campaigned for Dosunmu and eventually he was declared the winner of the election in the ward.
Further investigations by thegazellenews.com revealed that ambition was the root of the anti-party activities in the ward.
It should be noted here that both the House of Representatives member for Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency, Honourable Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun; and the outgoing Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Kayode Adejare Omiyale are from the same Ward D.
The general belief is that the two of them should be asked how they lost the election in their ward.
Thegazellenews.com‘s investigations revealed that the bone of contention is the APC House of Representatives ticket in 2027.
The incumbent is just serving his first term and naturally would want to return. But Omiyale, according to investigations, does not want Oshun to return, rather he wants to take the seat himself.
Thegazellenews.com learnt that as a sitting Chairman in Lagos, in 2023, Omiyale allegedly transferred his PVC to Osun State where he allegedly contested for the APC ticket for House of Representatives.
“Members know that Oshun championed the cause of Dosunmu in 2021. However Oshun withdrew his support for Dosunmu due to his constant quarrel with Omiyale.
“On election day, some prominent members of the Omiyale political group openly canvassed for Dosunmu against the candidate of their party,” another APC member told our correspondent.
A party member living in Abule Oja informed thegazellenews.com that on the eve of the party, the council Chairman allegedly invited a prominent youth leader to his house and gave him money to work for the PDP candidate.
According to the party leader, the guy allegedly invited by the Chairman confessed that he was given huge sum and also promised more if the PDP candidate eventually wins.
“With the result of the election, I have to believe the story by the guy,” our source said.
Our correspondent also learnt that it was some members of the Omiyale group that went to town to allege that it was because Oshun imposed his brother that the party lost!
Investigations revealed that Oshun is not related to the APC candidate. “Lanre is the last born of his parents, so he doesn’t have any younger brother or sister,” our correspondent was told.
The general consensus of those who spoke with our correspondent was that both Oshun and Omiyale deserve to explain why APC lost in the ward where they both reside.
“We should even ask the council Chairman in particular why APC lost in his ward. He is supposed to be the closest to the grassroots. He should not be passing responsibility.
“There is evidence that members of his group openly campaigned and canvassed for votes for the PDP candidate,” Risikat Olaore told thegazellenews.com
Risikat mentioned some names whom she described as diehard supporters of Omiyale who allegedly worked for Dosunmu to win.
“There is one guy called ‘Fire’, there is another called Shefiu Bello and another called Kamson Sawyer. They are known boys of Omiyale.
“In fact, they were the one in charge of Atan Cemetery. They openly campaigned for Dosunmu and even financed his election,” she narrated.
As at the time of writing this report, neither Oshun nor Omiyale has responded to calls for their response to the allegations against them.
It is obvious that the APC leadership in Yaba LCDA needs to put its house in order. This is just a stitch in time
