By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed the return of Hon. Thomas Ogunleye, popularly known as Kakaraka, as the Vice Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the Kosofe Local Government.
Ogunleye, the incumbent vice chairman, was listed among the 2025 vice chairmanship candidates in the party’s official publication, affirming his nomination for a second term in office.
His selection follows intense internal consultations and lobbying after the APC chairmanship primaries, during which several aspirants and party stakeholders jostled for the vice chairman slot to run alongside the party’s flagbearer, Princess Samiat Abolanle Bada.
Tensions had mounted in the LCDA after 13 aggrieved chairmanship aspirants publicly rejected Bada’s candidacy, raising fears of a deeper rift within the party structure in Ikosi-Isheri. Ogunleye was among those initially speculated to be dropped to pacify dissenting factions.
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However, the decision to retain him as Bada’s running mate has been described by political watchers as a calculated move to foster reconciliation and maintain internal party balance—a classic case of “one man’s food is another man’s poison.”
Ogunleye’s return is viewed as a strategic step towards stabilizing the APC’s local political base ahead of the July 2025 local government elections. Party insiders say his experience and existing working relationship with Bada could play a crucial role in uniting the party’s camps and mobilizing grassroots support.