By Aderonke Ojediran/ Raji Rasqak
Political stakeholders from Badagry Division on Tuesday renewed their appeal to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the party’s Lagos State governorship ticket to Badagry ahead of the 2027 elections.
They described the request as legitimate, saying that the zoning would promote fairness, justice and inclusion.
Leading in the call, a 93-year-old elder statesman, Alhaji Andu Adio, said Badagry had not presented a governorship candidate since the creation of Lagos State in 1967 because the division had not found a candidate in whom the people had absolute trust and confidence.
Adio, who in his prime headed the committee on the restructuring of the education sector during the administration of the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, said the situation had changed with the emergence of Dr Samuel Ajose.
According to him, the people of Badagry now believe they have found in Ajose a credible, competent and selfless aspirant who can carry the collective aspiration of the division.
“We in Badagry have not, over the years, put forward a governorship candidate, not because we lacked qualified people but because we had not found someone we truly trusted and believed in.
“Now, in Dr Samuel Ajose, we have a man we believe in, a man we trust, and a man we are convinced is ready to serve and make sacrifices for the people,” Adio said.
He said that Badagry had made much socio-economic contributions to Lagos State and the entire Nigeria.
“Since the creation of Lagos State in 1967, Badagry has not produced a governor.
“We have not enjoyed the level of political recognition that reflects our contributions and our history.
“Badagry is a land of heritage and significance, but politically, we have remained on the sidelines.
“That is why we are making this appeal peacefully and collectively,” he said.
Adio said that the request for the governorship slot was not based on sentiments, but on equity and the need to give every part of the state a sense of belonging.
“It is our turn, and we are saying so with respect, facts and unity. We believe Dr Ajose is the right person for this moment,” he said.
A former member of the House of Representative, Mrs Rafeequat Onabamiro, dismissed the notion that Badagry lacked aspirants with the education or resources to contest for the governorship seat.
According to her, Badagry is home to many accomplished professionals, including professors and doctors, as well as financially capable individuals.
“When some people said Badagry had no one with capacity, we asked them what they meant by capacity.
“If it is education, we have highly educated sons and daughters. If it is financial strength, we also have capable people,” she said.
“The argument that Badagry lacks the right candidate no longer stands. Dr Ajose represents both competence and capacity.”
Onabamiro said the request was widely supported across Lagos West Senatorial District and was consistent with the principles of equity and political balancing.
“If you look at the history of Lagos State, both in the military and civilian eras, Badagry has never produced a governor,” she said.
“That is why this demand is legitimate, justified and timely.
“It is not a confrontation; it is an appeal based on fairness and inclusion,” the former lawmaker said.
She added that political leadership was not the exclusive preserve of career politicians, noting that many successful leaders in Nigeria and across the world had emerged from business and professional backgrounds.
“The fact that someone has not been in partisan politics all his life does not mean he cannot perform. Leadership is about capacity, administration and vision.
“If a man has built institutions, managed resources and employed hundreds of people, that is leadership.
“We believe Dr Ajose can govern well,” she said.
Onabamiro said the people of Badagry and the entire Lagos West Senatorial District were united in their appeal for consideration of the division for the governorship ticket.
“We are asking with one voice that Badagry should be given the opportunity.
“This is a call for justice, and we hope the party leadership will listen,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Olanrewaju Saka-Shenayon, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development and Infrastructure, said that Ajose had, over the years, demonstrated strong commitment to the APC and consistently supported the party’s activities across the state.
“In everything we do, he has always contributed to the success of the party.
“When the party’s registration exercise started, he donated printers, generators, laptops and cash to sustain the process, not only in Badagry but across the 57 councils in Lagos State.
“Ajose also provided significant support to APC chairmanship candidates during the last local government elections. His loyalty to the party structure had never been in doubt.
“He may not be a conventional politician, but he has always stood firmly with the party and with Lagos State,” he said.
Saka-Shenayon added that Ajose had supported installation of electronic billboards in Lagos and other South-West states toward President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
“In Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti, there are electronic billboards supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, and he has been part of that effort.
“That shows he has the financial capacity and political commitment to go through the election process,” he said. (NAN)
