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Wednesday ,May 20 2026, a young ,vibrant but little known female politician, Barakat Odunuga Bakare emerged the APC flag bearer for Surulere Constituency 1 for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat.In doing so,Odunuga beat a popular 3-term member, Desmond Olusola Elliot in a landslide.She polled 11,385 to Elliot’s 270 votes.
Those who witnessed the shenanigans that led to Elliot’s defeat were little surprised.To them ,especially those who follow the Politics of Surulere religiously ,the architect of Odunuga’s victory is none other than President Tinubu Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Some school of thought explained that Desmond,who was a protege of Gbajabiamila had fallen out with him while Gbajabiamila had reportedly asked Desmond to bury his 4th term ambition and support Bakare, a development Desmond frowned at.That single act of disobedience would be the catalyst for Elliot’s fall from grace to grass as he was taken to the cleaners by Odunuga with a hundred percent support from the Gbajabiamila political structure.
Political watchers opined that the former speaker ,House of Representatives, in the last few years has consolidated his hold on power, resources and influence to emerge the most powerful politician in Lagos state.
In surulere, Gbaja is referred to as the undisputed APC Leader.His empowerment program is second to none.It is on record today that no Politician in the history of Lagos both dead or alive has impacted his/her constituency as much as Gbaja.Apart from infrastructure development, cars ,small businesses,cash incentives for start ups, medical aids, Gbaja ‘s all round influence in Surulere is legendary.Through his constituency project, he spearheaded the total rehabilitation of all council flats within the Surulere axis a few years ago. From Obele,to Shitta/Ile Gogoro , Bank -Olemoh,there was no house untouched as they wore new looks via Aluminum roofing, Casement Windows/Doors and Painting.The project reportedly gulped billions in Naira.That is how far Gbaja has touched people’s lives directly.And they are ready to heed his call whenever he calls on them.
Politically, nothing concrete gets done without him.So powerful is Gbaja that all those seeking political office seek his nod before proceeding.
The former Reps speaker’s influence transcends surulere.His influence has become so large that in Lagos State, Gbaja is the go-to man currently to get anything done or curry favour from the Presidency. From Lagos Island , to Apapa to Ikeja to Alimosho, Agege, Oshodi, he holds the key to most of the decisions taken politically.
But how did this gentleman evolve to become one of the most powerful politician in President Tinubu’s cabinet. How did he start his journey,who influenced him.
Femi Gbajabiamila’s mother is Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila. She is a 96-year-old trailblazing community leader, philanthropist, and the first female elected local government chairperson in Lagos State when she headed the Surulere Local Government. A United Kingdom-trained nurse, she built an outstanding legacy in healthcare and public service. She was the one who showed Femi the way in Politics.She remains the revered matriarch of the Gbajabiamila family and a strong influence on his son through his Political journey.
How about his journey with PBAT?
Unknown to many, Femi Gbajabiamila met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the early 1980s when Gbajabiamila’s mother,who was Surulere LG boss introduced her son to Tinubu, who was working as a political consultant at the time.Tinubu took on a mentorship role, forging a close political and personal bond that has spanned over four decades. Tinubu eventually encouraged Gbajabiamila to run for the House of Representatives in 2003 and later relied on him as a key political strategist and parliamentary ally. This longstanding relationship is the catalyst for Gbajabiamila’s powerful influence in Lagos over the years which has remained till this day.
As Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gbajabiamila stands at the intersection of politics, policy, access and execution.
Gbajabiamila’s political journey has never been accidental. Before becoming Chief of Staff, he had built one of the most durable legislative careers of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. He represented Surulere I Federal Constituency from 2003 until 2023, a 20-year stretch that gave him unusual institutional memory of Nigeria’s lawmaking process. He served as House Minority Leader, later House Majority Leader, and then Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023.
Gbajabiamila’s legislative years trained him in the difficult grammar of coalition-building. He learned how to count votes, manage ambition, interpret institutional mood and balance the politics of loyalty with the demands of process. Those skills are valuable in a presidency where reform has been ambitious, politics has been demanding, and public patience has often been absent.
Gbajabiamila’s political identity has long been tied to loyalty, especially within the progressive political family that produced the All Progressives Congress.
Wole Alakija
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