By Ayo Mojoyin
The political landscape of Agege Constituency II has taken a dramatic turn ahead of the 2027 Lagos State House of Assembly election, following the emergence of Barrister Azeez Oladapo Yusuf, popularly known as Ninolowo or Nino Agege, as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate for the constituency.
Behind Ninolowo’s emergence under a new political platform lies a story that has generated intense conversation across Agege the story of what his supporters describe as a “stolen mandate,” a mandate they insist was freely secured by Ninolowo at the May 2026 All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary before his name was subsequently removed from the party’s final candidate list.
The circumstances surrounding the primary have continued to fuel the controversy. On May 20, 2026, reports announced Azeez Ninolowo as the winner of the APC primary for Agege Constituency II, with 12,455 votes, while Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi was reported to have won Agege Constituency I with 10,126 votes.
The declaration appeared to settle the contest. Ninolowo had won the primary, his supporters celebrated, and the expectation was that he would proceed as the APC candidate for Agege Constituency II in the 2027 election.
However, what followed changed the entire political narrative. Reports from June indicated that supporters protested at the Lagos APC secretariat, demanding that the votes they believed were cast for Ninolowo and Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi be respected.
The controversy eventually culminated in Ninolowo’s departure from the APC. Multiple reports published in September 2026 confirmed that Ninolowo and Egunjobi subsequently secured APM tickets for Agege Constituencies II and I respectively. APM’s substitution primary for Constituency II reportedly produced Yusuf as its candidate.
Ninolowo and Egunjobi have publicly rejected suggestions that their movement to APM was orchestrated by Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. In a statement reported by PUNCH, the duo said the decision was independently taken after what they described as their experience during the APC candidate-selection process and unsuccessful efforts to resolve their grievances within the party.
For Ninolowo, therefore, the 2027 contest is no longer simply about changing political platforms. It represents a new chapter in an already established relationship with the Agege community, where he has built visibility through philanthropy, community interventions and grassroots engagement.
Earlier in 2026, when he declared his intention to contest for Agege Constituency II, Ninolowo described his ambition as a call to public service rather than a pursuit of personal gain. He pledged to use legislative representation to champion community development while continuing his charitable activities.
His philanthropic profile has been one of the most frequently highlighted aspects of his public activities. Reports have associated him with scholarships, support for indigent residents, medical outreach and assistance to people at the grassroots. His April 2026 declaration followed a medical outreach at Orile-Agege, underscoring the community-service narrative around his political ambition.
The legal practitioner and businessman has consequently attempted to present himself as a candidate whose relationship with Agege predates electoral calculations. The central question for Constituency II residents in 2027 will be whether that history of community engagement translates into the kind of legislative representation they expect from their elected representative.
That question becomes particularly important because the Lagos State House of Assembly is not merely a platform for political visibility. Constituency representatives participate in legislation, oversight of the executive, representation of constituents and advocacy for projects and policies affecting their communities.
Ninolowo’s supporters can therefore point to his background outside formal politics as part of the argument for his candidacy. His legal training, business experience and years of community involvement provide elements of a profile that he can bring into the legislative contest. Reports have previously described him as a lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist with business interests spanning different sectors.
The 2027 contest will also require more than personality or philanthropy. Agege Constituency II voters will ultimately have to examine the candidates’ positions on issues such as infrastructure, education, youth employment, skills development, healthcare, environmental sanitation, security, transportation and effective constituency representation.
The political significance of Ninolowo’s APM candidacy is therefore difficult to separate from the circumstances surrounding his departure from APC. His supporters regard the move as a continuation of their preferred candidate’s political journey, while the APC retains its own candidate for the constituency. Reports identify Enimakure Akindele Sakiru as the APC candidate for Agege II.
The development has consequently transformed Agege Constituency II into one of the constituencies attracting attention ahead of the 2027 Lagos Assembly election. Ninolowo’s switch has introduced a new political platform, a new campaign narrative and a direct contest between a politician who previously sought the ruling party’s ticket and the candidate now carrying that party’s flag.
For Ninolowo, the challenge is now clear: to convince constituents that the APM platform can provide an effective vehicle for his legislative ambition and that his record of community engagement can translate into measurable representation.
For the voters, the issue is equally clear the 2027 contest provides an opportunity to scrutinise the competing candidates, their records, programmes and capacity for constituency service.
What makes Ninolowo’s story particularly compelling is that his political journey has moved from an internal party contest to a wider electoral battle before the people of Agege Constituency II. His APM candidacy has given the contest another dimension and placed his personal political brand directly before the electorate.
As 2027 approaches, the spotlight will increasingly fall on Agege Constituency II. Beyond party colours and political alliances, the decisive conversation will ultimately be about representation, accountability, development and the expectations of the people.
Ninolowo has positioned himself for that conversation under the APM banner; the next chapter will be written by the voters of Agege Constituency II.
