By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The political atmosphere in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State grew tense on Thursday as politicians across party lines engaged in a heated exchange over corruption, opposition credibility, and the road to 2027.
A former PDP chieftain, Daniyan Oluwashola, alleged that about 65 percent of PDP members in Lagos benefit directly from institutionalised corruption, a situation he said has crippled the party’s ability to function as a genuine opposition. He further claimed that some PDP leaders have been on the payroll of APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, citing earlier remarks by former minister Adeseye Ogunlewe.
Oluwashola, now working with a coalition of opposition forces, stressed that unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would require a united front.
“Minority few with an avalanche of zombies feeding on crumbs cannot stop APC. It will take a coalition process to liberate Nigerians from economic hardship and political bondage,” he declared.
But his comments sparked sharp reactions. Oloye Salami Oluwaseun, a prominent APC supporter, dismissed members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kosofe as “paperweight politicians,” insisting that APC’s dominance is entrenched at the grassroots.
“Kosofe is APC and APC is Kosofe,” he said, urging opposition politicians to defect rather than, in his words, “fight a losing battle.”
The debate also drew in Hon. Okufuwa Samad Oluwatoyin, Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), who questioned Oluwashola’s credibility, noting that many within ADC were former PDP figures accused of weakening the party from within.
Similarly, Moschinoblog Publisher, Engr. Olusola Emmanuel Adedayo, argued that APC’s electoral victories in Lagos were driven by its structures and strategy, not defections from aggrieved PDP members.
Oluwashola, however, stood firm, pointing to the Labour Party’s performance in the 2023 elections as evidence that a coalition of smaller parties could still mount a serious challenge to APC.
The exchanges underscore deepening cracks within Lagos opposition politics, where old grievances, shifting allegiances, and questions of credibility continue to shape strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.