Barrister Azeez Oladapo Yusuf, popularly known as Ninolowo or Nino Agege, has emerged as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate for Agege Constituency II in the 2027 Lagos State House of Assembly election.
His emergence follows his earlier bid for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, where reports said he won the party’s May 2026 primary for the constituency.
According to reports, Ninolowo was declared winner of the APC primary on May 20, 2026, with 12,455 votes. Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi was also reported to have won the primary for Agege Constituency I with 10,126 votes.
The outcome initially appeared to have cleared the way for Ninolowo to contest the 2027 election under the APC platform.
However, controversy later emerged over the party’s candidate-selection process. In June, supporters reportedly protested at the Lagos APC secretariat, calling for the recognition of the results they believed had produced Ninolowo and Egunjobi as candidates.
The dispute eventually contributed to Ninolowo’s departure from the APC.
By September 2026, reports confirmed that Ninolowo and Egunjobi had secured APM tickets to contest Agege Constituencies II and I respectively. An APM substitution primary reportedly produced Ninolowo as the party’s candidate for Constituency II.
Ninolowo and Egunjobi have also rejected claims that their movement to the APM was influenced or coordinated by Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
In a statement reported by PUNCH, the two politicians said their decision was based on their experiences during the APC candidate-selection process and their unsuccessful attempts to resolve their grievances within the party.
For Ninolowo, the new political platform marks a fresh stage in his ambition to represent Agege Constituency II.
Before entering the political contest, he had built visibility in the community through philanthropic activities, grassroots engagement and various interventions.
When he declared his intention to contest the constituency earlier in 2026, Ninolowo described his ambition as an opportunity to serve the people rather than pursue personal interests.
He pledged to use legislative representation to promote community development while maintaining his charitable activities.
His supporters have highlighted his involvement in scholarships, assistance to indigent residents, medical outreach programmes and other community-based initiatives.
His April 2026 declaration reportedly followed a medical outreach in Orile-Agege, further strengthening the community-service narrative around his political ambition.
A lawyer and businessman, Ninolowo has presented himself as a candidate whose relationship with the Agege community predates his current electoral ambition.
If elected, he would be expected to participate in lawmaking, executive oversight, constituency representation and advocacy on issues affecting residents.
Key issues likely to feature in the 2027 contest include infrastructure, education, youth employment, skills development, healthcare, environmental sanitation, security and transportation.
Ninolowo’s supporters are expected to use his community activities, legal background and business experience as part of their campaign message.
However, his APM candidacy has also changed the political dynamics in Agege Constituency II, as the APC is expected to field its own candidate, with reports identifying Enimakure Akindele Sakiru as the party’s candidate for the constituency.
The development has placed Agege Constituency II among the constituencies attracting attention ahead of the 2027 Lagos Assembly election.
Ninolowo now faces the task of presenting the APM platform and his legislative agenda to voters while distinguishing himself from the other candidates in the race.
For constituents, the election will provide an opportunity to assess the candidates based on their records, programmes, policy positions and plans for constituency development.
Ninolowo’s political journey has thus moved from an internal APC contest to a wider electoral battle under the APM banner.
As the 2027 election approaches, issues of representation, accountability, community development and effective constituency service are expected to remain central to the contest in Agege Constituency II.
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