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There are top politicians in Lagos who have established a name for themselves. Many of these politicians are within the All Progressives Congress, and they are leaders of their territories. They are the ears and eyes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These individuals control the political landscape in their areas and serve as strong leaders who determine who becomes who and what in the community they represent. President Tinubu, through these politicians, ensures a highly centralised, top-down political machinery. His dominance is maintained by utilising the powerful Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and also some trusted political men and women who control the grassroots local government structure, enforcing strict loyalty. Besides GAC, he also has some notable leaders who are very loyal to him. Below are the names of influential Lagos politicians whom President Tinubu doesn’t joke with. While some of them are visible, some tactically work in the background to oiling the political machinery of PBAT.
Hon Mudashiru Obasa is one person President Tinubu doesn’t joke with. The two have been together for more than two decades. When you talk about one leader in Agege who has delivered and worked for the progress of APC over the years, it is none other than Hon Obasa. No politician will contest under the platform of APC in the area without his approval. As Obasa rose through the ranks, winning a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2003 and eventually becoming Speaker, he aligned closely with Tinubu’s political philosophy. Obasa built his political career as a loyalist within the ‘Mandate’ political structure, which Tinubu founded in Lagos. Over the years, he cemented this connection by championing Tinubu’s political interests, even launching the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Foundation to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition long before it was realised. Today, the same person has become a top political ally.
Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas is a highly influential Nigerian politician and the Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. Her political influence stems from her past role representing the Lagos Island Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and her deep engagement in grassroots mobilization and women’s empowerment.
As the APC Women Leader in Lagos, she is instrumental in driving grassroots support, coordinating women’s participation in elections, and shaping the political direction of the party.
She is a vocal advocate for increasing the representation of women in male-dominated political spaces and regularly leads initiatives to boost women’s political empowerment and inclusion in local governance.
Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila wields immense influence across both the Nigerian legislature and the executive. Rising from a six-term lawmaker and Speaker of the House of Representatives to his current role as Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, he remains one of the most powerful political figures in the country.
Hon Gbaja as he fondly called is the face of Surulere and he decides who becomes A or B in that area. He has become a political leader in Lagos politics because of his long term relationship with President Tinubu.
Another name is Henry Oladele Ajomale, a veteran Nigerian politician, technocrat, and respected political strategist. He wields substantial influence in Lagos State and national politics, primarily through the following roles.
He served as the long-time Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including its predecessors (the Action Congress and Action Congress of Nigeria). He is credited with steering the party’s grassroots structure and securing major political victories for two decades.
He holds significant sway as a prominent member of the GAC, the powerful, elite think-tank and highest decision-making body within the Lagos State APC. The council dictates the political direction and candidate selections in the state.
Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire: A highly influential figure in Alimosho and a member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC). She is a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and a former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She is one of the people President Tinubu don’t joke with when it comes to Lagos polirics.
Pastor (Hon.) Cornelius Ojelabi is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State and serves as the Coordinator of all APC State Chairmen in Nigeria. A former Commissioner for Rural Development, he wields significant influence by directing grassroots political structures, managing internal party affairs, and unifying diverse interests within the state’s ruling party.
His primary role is maintaining the formidable APC structure across Lagos. He plays a stabilizing role in candidate selection, dispute resolution, and steering the party through state primaries, such as overseeing the recent Lagos Central and West Senatorial District Primary Elections. He is one of the people who has the eyes and ears of President Tinubu in Lagos politics.
Hon. Bisi Yusuff is a highly influential grassroots politician and veteran lawmaker in Lagos State, Nigeria. He is best known for his long-standing leadership within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his pivotal role in mobilizing voters in the massive Alimosho Local Government Area. He plays a major role in grassroots mobilization and party unity.
Hon. Kehinde Olaide Joseph: The current lawmaker representing Alimosho Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He is highly visible in the area for pushing educational and community infrastructure initiatives.
Hon. Jimoh Orelope Louqman Olatunji: The lawmaker representing Alimosho Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, who remains a prominent consensus-backed figure in the local party.
Hon. Ganiyu Ayuba: The current federal legislator representing the Alimosho Constituency in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly.Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson: The Executive Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, who oversees the primary local government structure along with the chairmen of its five constituent LCDAs (Agbado-Oke-Odo, Ayobo-Ipaja, Egbe-Idimu, Ikotun-Igando, and Mosan-Okunola).Hon. Adebisi Adebajo (Abisco): A former Executive Chairman of Mosan-Okunola LCDA, widely recognized as one of the most prominent female political voices and grassroots leaders in the constituency.Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo: A seasoned political strategist and former key leader in the influential Mandate Movement structure in Alimosho.
Murphy Adetoro: A prominent member of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), he serves as one of the most influential apex leaders guiding party operations and endorsements in Eti-Osa.
Alhaji Raheem Alli: Recognized as the Apex Leader, particularly within the Eti-Osa East LCDA, he plays a critical role in strategic decision-making and unifying party loyalists.Elected Officials & Legislative LeadersHon. Noheem Babatunde Adams: The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Eti-Osa Constituency I. He is a key political figure in the area, having secured strong backing from party stakeholders as the consensus candidate for upcoming elections.Hon. Saheed Adesegun Bankole: The Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government, responsible for grassroots governance and mobilizing support across the wards within the council.
What about Prince Tajudeen Olusi is a veteran politician, elder statesman, and key political kingmaker in Lagos State. As the Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC)—the highest political decision-making body in Lagos—he holds immense influence over the state’s governance, policy direction, and leadership selection.
Prince Olusi is widely celebrated for introducing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into the Lagos political space in the early 1990s, helping him secure his first elective position as a Senator.
Tracing his political roots back to the Action Group (AG) of the First Republic, he has been a consistent stabilizing force in progressive alliances like the UPN, SDP, AD, AC, ACN, and currently the APC.
Alhaji Shakirudeen Akanni Seriki (Bamu): A highly influential elder statesman and member of the prestigious Lagos State APC Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), widely regarded as the divisional leader of the party.
Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji: Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a highly influential GAC member.Rep.
He is credited with transforming the Lagos Assembly into one of the most independent and vibrant state legislatures in Nigeria. He frequently asserted the legislature’s role in keeping the executive arm accountable.
A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he has continued to influence political discourse in Nigeria, often offering commentary on the independence of the judiciary and state-level accountability
Prince Abiodun Ogunleye is a respected Nigerian accountant, elder statesman, and key political patriarch in Lagos State. Holding the position of Governance Advisory Council (GAC) member and acting as the apex leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ikorodu Division, his influence focuses on grassroots mobilization, conflict resolution, and ensuring party discipline.
Long before becoming a prominent state-level figure, Prince Ogunleye was deeply involved in building the grassroots machinery for the progressive political structure in Lagos.
He is one prominent politician who control Lagos politics.
Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Bashorun: A prominent chieftain and member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC)
He was the pioneer State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later joined the Action Congress (which became the APC) and became a highly influential member of the powerful Governance Advisory Council (GAC), which dictates the political direction of Lagos State.
Senator Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun is a highly influential Nigerian politician who serves as the Senator for the Lagos Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly. He is also a prominent member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State. His primary influence stems from deep political roots, grassroots mobilization, and extensive constituency development.
He is known locally as the “Educator Senator,” he is highly influential in driving youth and educational development. He regularly hosts town hall meetings to distribute educational materials, grants scholarships to tertiary institution students, and funds vocational training and startup grants for young artisans.
Abdullahi Ayinde Enilolobo is a prominent grassroots politician and the leader of The Mandate Movement, a major political caucus within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. His influence centers on his deep-rooted political mobilization capabilities, particularly in the Alimosho Local Government Area, which is known as a decisive voting bloc in Lagos.
Begining his career as a youth leader in the 1990s, Enilolobo built a formidable support network. He previously served as the Lagos State Youth Leader, Southwest Youth Leader, and State Organizing Secretary of the APC.
James Omolaja Odunmbaku, a highly influential Lagos State politician, clergyman, and elder statesman. A key member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), he is a foundational figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Tinubu political machine. He is a founding father and national leader of “The Mandate Movement,” a dominant political grassroots structure in Lagos and across Nigeria. He frequently receives high-level political consultations from Lagos State leadership.
Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke is a highly influential Nigerian lawmaker and a key political strategist within the All Progressives Congress (APC). He holds significant sway across two primary spheres: his legislative base in Lagos State. A long-time ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Faleke has served as a member of the House of Representatives for the Ikeja Federal Constituency since 2011 and only last week just won his primary to vie again in next years general elections. He commands immense grassroots support in this commercial hub, consistently winning elections and serving as a major mobilizer during local and national campaigns.
Dr. Adeola Muhydeen Jokomba (fondly called “JK is OK”) is a prominent Nigerian politician and administrator whose primary sphere of influence lies within grassroots governance and party politics in Lagos State. He currently serves as the State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos. As the Secretary of the Lagos State APC, Dr. Jokomba plays a pivotal role in internal party coordination, managing operations at the State Secretariat, and strengthening the party’s grassroots structures.
Hon. Sanai Oyeniran Bolanle Agunbiade, widely known as “SOB,” is a prominent Nigerian lawyer and politician who wields significant influence in Lagos State, particularly within the Ikorodu division. He is best known for his record-breaking tenure as the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, a position he held while representing Ikorodu Constituency I for 16 years (2007–2023).
As the longest-serving legislator in Ikorodu’s history, Hon. Agunbiade was a principal officer in the Assembly. His peers elected him as the National Chairman of the Nigerian Majority Leaders’ Forum and the Chairman of the Southwest Majority Leaders’ Forum, placing him at the center of regional and national legislative policy coordination.
Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) holds major political influence in Lagos State. He is a grassroots mobiliser, a two-term Senator representing Lagos West (2007–2015), and the apex political leader in the Mushin and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye divisions. He serves on the influential Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. He is one of those President Tinubu does not joke with, especially when it comes to Lagos politics.
-Isaac Abimbade
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