By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The once-solid alliance between Hon. Moyosore Ogunlewe, Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, and the influential Justice Forum caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is showing visible signs of collapse — with political drama intensifying ahead of and after the July 12 local government elections.
Before the polls, tensions surfaced when Ganiu Oyebanjo, a former Special Adviser on Boundary Matters and a known Justice Forum loyalist, filed corruption petitions against Chairman Ogunlewe. But in an unexpected twist, the Forum threw its weight behind the embattled chairman, sidelining the whistleblower. Some members even launched a defamation lawsuit against Oyebanjo, framing his allegations as politically motivated. His cryptic curse, “What they gathered, may it scatter,” now seems eerily on course.
The silent fallout continued in the shadows — until it spilled into the open with the emergence of Hon. Femi Oyesile as Leader of the Kosofe Legislative Council. Oyesile, Ogunlewe’s loyalist, clinched the leadership position ahead of Hon. Sulaman Baruwa, the preferred candidate of APC apex leader and Justice Forum heavyweight, Otunba Bushira Alebiosu. The development was widely interpreted as a clear rebuff to the Forum’s authority and influence within the council.
Since then, both camps have maintained calculated silence, leaving political observers to decipher the new alignments in Kosofe. But one thing is clear: the marriage of convenience between Ogunlewe and the Justice Forum may be over.
With the list of cabinet members expected to be announced in the coming days, political watchers are bracing for more surprises — and perhaps, a final break in what remains of the alliance.