Why BADAGRY Lost Out In LAGOS Politics

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When the late Babatunde Akran(de Wheno  Aholu Menu-toyi 1) of Badagry assumed the throne of his forefathers in April 1977, part of his dreams was to align the old slave route with the central government for his people to be part of the decision making and enjoy the dividends of democracy .

Fast forward to January, 2026 when he died after a 49 year reign,he must have taken a heavy regret to his grave.And that is the fact that his Kingdom never got the central attention it craved to reach its full development potential.And that was deliberate.

The Politics of Lagos State has seldom favoured Badagry in almost 60 years of  its creation.

However, their prayers seem to have been answered with the announcement of  Princess Damilola Sonayon-James as Lagos Deputy Governorship Candidate for the forthcoming Lagos State governorship election, positioning the Badagry-born politician for one of the most significant political contests in the state.

The choice of Sonayon-James is being viewed as a strategic move by the ruling party to strengthen its grassroots appeal and consolidate support across key parts of Lagos, particularly in the Badagry division where she enjoys considerable influence and political goodwill.Its also viewed as a move to placate the division after years of neglect.

Those who follow politics in the state revealed that Badagry, only just about 10 years ago  started to mildly enjoy representation within the state central executive machinery with the appointments of Special Advisers and a handful of representation.

The current Home Affairs  commissioner in Lagos, Ibrahim Layode is from Badagry. The appointment of Sonayon James is expected to pilot the region’s real shot at the governorship proper, in the future.

Her political journey has seen her serve as Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture and Social Services in Badagry West LCDA, where she played active roles in grassroots governance and social intervention programmes.

Political observers have described her emergence as a significant milestone for women in Lagos politics, noting that her selection reflects the growing influence of female leaders within the APC and the state’s political landscape.

Sonayon-James will become one of the most prominent political figures from the Badagry division to secure a place on a major governorship ticket in Lagos State, further elevating the region’s hitherto docile profile in the state’s political calculations ahead of the election. But what exactly was the cause of the Kingdom many years of marginalisation and neglect from central mainstream politics? Read on…

THE LATE AKRAN ‘S ROLE

Although the late Akran of Badagry generally maintained a non-partisan stance to foster  unity, he nonetheless historically showed goodwill and support to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for specific, localized reasons,a stance which often pitched it with the APC led central  government  which hindered its development for so many years. The Oba and Badagry leaders occasionally aligned with or welcomed PDP figures such as in the case  of Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 and governorship candidate ‘Jandor’ in 2022 to advocate for better federal and state interventions, infrastructure, and tourism developments.

While he historically belonged to the Action Group (AG) in the First Republic, as a monarch in recent decades, his palace was open to all political parties. He frequently offered traditional blessings and hospitality to PDP candidates in exchange for their promises to bring developmental projects to the ancient town.All of these were viewed by the APC led government of Lagos State as an affront and as such brought about its marginalization.

POLITICAL RELEVANCE:

Also, Badagry’s political marginalization in Lagos largely stems from its smaller population, lower political leverage, and historical internal disunity. As one of the 5 primary traditional administrative divisions of Lagos (IBILE), it remains the only zone along with Ikorodu that has not produced a governor.The division’s historical struggle to secure top-tier positions can be attributed to several core factors. The Badagry division is currently the smallest of the five divisions by population size, which directly limits its voting bloc. In state politics, sympathizing with a region’s struggle rarely yields electoral wins; delegates favor candidates with wider, statewide support.

INTERNAL DISUNITY AND “GODFATHER” POLITICS

Local leaders and politicians have historically struggled to present a united front, often allowing personal interests and fragmentation to undermine their statewide bargaining power. Observers and activists have pointed out that internal divisions frequently derail the pursuit of regional power.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF SCARCITY

There has been a persistent, albeit challenged, local and statewide narrative that the Badagry region lacks the financial capacity and the pool of adequately qualified individuals to compete for the highest state offices.

THE “WAIT YOUR TURN” DYNAMIC

While zones like Lagos Island, Ikeja, Epe, excluding Ikorodu have all had the opportunity to hold the governorship, Badagry has continually been asked by party leadership to wait its turn or settle for lesser appointments.Despite these structural disadvantages, local stakeholders and traditional rulers are actively campaigning under the rallying cry “#BadagryLokan” (It is Badagry’s turn) to push for better inclusion. These efforts—spearheaded by community leaders and philanthropic movements like the SMA Foundation—have gradually pushed the state’s leadership to correct historic imbalances, evidenced by the All Progressives Congress (APC) allotting the state’s deputy governorship position to the Badagry Division.

And to underscore their demand, Badagry women recently demanded the Deputy Governorship ticket.

Women from Badagry Division in Lagos State, working with the Women’s Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had added their voices to the calls for the party to give the 2027 deputy governorship ticket to their area following the withdrawal of their candidate,Mawuyon Ajose(SMA)from the governorship race.

They said Badagry has faced political marginalisation for decades.

–Wole Alakija

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