The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has withdrawn his son, Abdulganiyu Obasa, from the chairmanship race for Agege Local Government under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdulganiyu, previously rumoured to be the Speaker’s preferred candidate, did not appear before the party’s screening committee—a move that effectively ended his ambition and opened the field for other contenders.

The development follows mounting opposition from APC stakeholders in Agege, who criticized Abdulganiyu’s perceived lack of political experience.

In a petition reportedly sent to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the stakeholders accused Speaker Obasa of attempting to impose his son on the party and warned of possible internal crisis if the move was not reversed.

In what observers describe as a strategic retreat to avoid further division within the party, Speaker Obasa stepped back from the move, thereby allowing the APC’s internal democratic processes to unfold unhindered.

“This withdrawal is not just about Obasa’s son. It is a signal to every political godfather in Lagos APC that the era of handpicking candidates without due process is coming to an end,” a party source familiar with the situation told Lagos Eye News.

With the APC ticket now up for grabs, attention has turned to other aspirants, including the incumbent council chairman, Hon. Ganiyu Egunjobi, who is widely expected to seek re-election, though he has yet to make a formal declaration.