By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The publisher of Kosofe Inside Out, a local online news platform, has defended the editorial decision to feature a prominent image of Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora in a pre-election article that has sparked criticism among political stakeholders and community figures.
The article, titled “APC in Ikosi-Isheri Faces Uncertainty Ahead of July 12, 2025, Lagos Council Polls,” was published via www.mykosofe.com and accompanied by a feature image of the former Minister and Senator, who is a respected political figure in the area.
However, the choice of visual prompted a wave of reactions on Monday, with critics arguing that the image was misleading and did not correspond with the core of the article’s content.
Stakeholders React
Former Executive Secretary of Kosofe Local Government, Hon. Gbemisola Ketiku, expressed disapproval over the editorial choice.
“The picture and message of the distinguished senator did not represent the caption, in my opinion,” Ketiku stated.
Oloye Salami Oluwaseun, another local political stakeholder, echoed the sentiment, describing the image as “misleading.”
Community advocate Comrade Funmilayo Joseph also weighed in:
“The Senator is in no way a subject in the write-up. The writer should have used the coalition group picture instead. Let’s be wary of using people’s identity to attract traffic to our platforms when such issues don’t concern them.”
Publisher Responds
In response to the backlash, Kosofe Inside Out publisher Mr. Lekan Lawal issued a statement defending the editorial direction and explaining the rationale behind the image selection.
“First, Senator Mamora is the highest-ranking political figure in Ikosi-Isheri LCDA. If the commentators had read the story to the end, they would have seen the Senator’s position clearly stated in the last paragraph,” Lawal said.
He further noted that the platform remains open to collaboration and feedback on editorial visuals:
“If anyone has better pictures that best suit the story, we would be glad to publish them.”
Political Tensions Mount Ahead of July 12
The controversy reflects the heightened political atmosphere in Kosofe as the July 12 local government elections approach. With the APC facing internal wrangling and opposition parties angling for influence, even editorial choices are being closely scrutinized for perceived bias or misrepresentation.
As political narratives continue to unfold across Kosofe, media platforms are increasingly finding themselves at the centre of partisan interpretations, with stakeholders demanding fairness in both content and imagery.