The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has expelled two former party members, Ganiyu Egunjobi and Azeez Yusuf, after they defected to the Allied Peoples Movement to contest the upcoming elections.
Egunjobi, a former chairman of Agege Local Government, and Yusuf, who previously sought the APC ticket for Agege Constituency II, both contested the party’s primaries but were unsuccessful.
They later joined the APM and emerged as the party’s candidates for Agege State Constituencies I and II respectively.
The Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, announced their expulsion in a statement issued on Wednesday, saying their actions amounted to anti-party activities and disloyalty.
According to him, the two were expected to abide by the outcome of the party’s internal process or use the recognised channels to challenge the results instead of seeking another platform to contest during the same electoral cycle.
“The Lagos APC views this conduct as a clear repudiation of the obligations of party membership and an unacceptable act of anti-party activity and disloyalty.”
Ojelabi also questioned the timing of their resignations, describing them as “nothing more than a belated and face-saving attempt to pre-empt the consequences of their actions.”
He said, “The Party’s position is that membership of the APC cannot be treated as a convenient political garment to be worn during a primary and discarded immediately after an unsuccessful outcome,”
The chairman added that members who lose party primaries have the option of accepting the outcome or seeking redress through the appropriate party and legal mechanisms.
“A member who loses an internal contest is expected to accept the outcome or pursue legitimate avenues of redress provided by the Party and the law-not to undermine the Party by seeking an alternative platform within the same electoral cycle,” Ojelabi said.
He said the APC relied on Article 9(5)(II) of its constitution, as amended in 2022, to take disciplinary action against the former members.
Ojelabi further said the decision was relevant to the 2026 electoral process, stressing that political parties and their members were expected to comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC regulations.
He declared, “Consequently, neither individual has the authority to speak for, represent, negotiate on behalf of, or otherwise transact any business with any person, organisation or institution in the name of the Lagos State APC or the All Progressives Congress.”
The party therefore advised its members, supporters and the general public to recognise that Egunjobi and Yusuf no longer represented or acted on behalf of the Lagos APC.
The development comes days after the two politicians explained why they abandoned the APC for the APM.
They also rejected claims that their decision was influenced by Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudasiru Obasa.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa had no hand whatsoever in our decision to leave the APC and contest under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The decision was entirely ours and was taken independently after careful consideration of our experiences within the party,” they said.
Egunjobi and Yusuf said they had remained within the APC despite previous political difficulties but eventually left after what they termed “grave injustice” during the primaries.
They claimed to have submitted petitions and sought internal redress but said the party leadership failed to initiate what they considered meaningful reconciliation or resolve their grievances to their satisfaction.