Sanusi who is a loyal party leader in the local government and in the state, garnered an overwhelming support of the majority of party leaders in the council area.
His consensus candidature was a product of a democratic selection process, which was consummated through voting by 15 out of 18 leaders who expressed interest in the chairmanship ticket.
Sanusi received the endorsement of 11 out of 15 leaders who voted, an outcome that resonated with APC members in the area council.
It also largely represents the most popular will in the party for the chairmanship position.
The leaders, therefore, dismissed a purported chairmanship list that was reportedlly submitted to the state party chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, declaring that it did not originate from a valid quorum of the council’s apex council.
Significantly, the leaders reaffirmed Sanusi as the consensus APC chairmanship candidate for Ojokoro.
Their reaffirmation stemmed from their earlier adoption of Sanusi by the majority of council leaders in a series of leadership meetings previously held.
In a letter addressed to the state chairman and dated May 2, 2025, entitled “Clarifications on a Purported Chairmanship List Submitted to the APC State Chairman by an Ojokoro Group”, two prominent leaders—Ipoola Omisore (a two-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly) and Adisa Owolabi (a former member of the House of Representatives)—stated that the list reportedly submitted by Benjamin Olabinjo (representing Ifako Federal Constituency) was not valid.
The letter read in part:
“We, the undersigned, are bona fide leaders of Ojokoro LCDA. Our attention has been drawn to a purported list submitted—ostensibly by Hon. Benjamin Olabinjo—to the APC state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi.
“According to informal sources and confirmations from within and outside the APC Secretariat in ACME, the list was allegedly delivered through Hon. James Faleke, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency.
“However, we categorically state that the list did not originate from a quorum of the Ojokoro Apex Council and should be discarded.”
The letter noted that the purported list contains 20 names, whereas the authentic APC-recognized leadership list for Ojokoro consists of only 18 members.
The signatories questioned the addition of extra names, suggesting they might have been loyalists rather than recognised leaders—an act they described as “impersonation deserving serious reprimand.”
The apex leaders highlighted that a consensus was reached in earlier meetings where 12 of 18 leaders voluntarily adopted Mobolaji Sanusi as the APC candidate.
Due to a conflict of interest, three leaders who are also aspirants—Fausat Olajokun, Rasheed Makinde, and Mobolaji Sanusi—were excluded from voting, reducing the voting quorum to 15.
Of those, 11 signed in favour of Sanusi.
“No reasonable person can doubt the consensus, with 11 out of 15 qualified leaders adopting Sanusi as our party’s chairmanship candidate in Ojokoro,” the letter emphasised.
They argued that this binding resolution, signed freely by 11 leaders, remained valid and could not be overridden by a “reactionary” and “adulterated” list of 20 names.
The letter continued: “Despite claims that some leaders who signed for Sanusi also signed the alternative list, we maintain that when two equities are equal, the first in time prevails. Our list is the original, authentic consensus list.”
They provided the names of those who signed for Sanusi’s endorsement, including:
*Ipoola Omisore (two-term Lagos State House of Assembly member)
*Chief Oluyomi Olaogun (respected elder and politician in Lagos)
*Otunba Aremu Akindele (pioneer chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye LGA)
*Adisa Owolabi (former House of Reps member)
*Emmanuel Olotu (current Lagos State House of Assembly member)
*Jelili Oseni (Ojokoro APC Chairman and former councilor)
*Dr. Waheed Adeleke Ipaye (former Sole Administrator, Ojokoro LCDA)
*Prince Adewale Bello (former APC LG Chairman)
*A.A. Amosun (former APC LG Chairman)
*Dr. Idris Salako (former Lagos State commissioner)
*H.I.D. Tijani (current Chairman, Ojokoro LCDA)
*Fatimo Oye-Balogun (former Ojokoro woman leader)
They emphasized that none of the leaders signed under duress and urged Pastor Ojelabi and Faleke not to allow “a few self-serving individuals” to tarnish their reputations or the image of the party.
“The hurriedly submitted list was done in bad faith and risks creating disunity. We urge the party to disregard it.
“Our list represents the true will of Ojokoro’s APC leadership and will stand any legal or moral scrutiny,” the APC leaders said.