Justice Forum & Mandate Group In Supremacy Battle

• Over The Control Of LAGOS APC

Ahead of 2025 local government election in Lagos State, 2 prominent political groups in the state, the Justice Forum and the Mandate Movement have started warming up. There are many intrigues surrounding the upcoming events, as one feels it deserves better, especially when it comes to key appointments and recognition in the state.

In every election cycle in the State, JF and TMM always show strength over who should control the politics of the Lagos APC in terms of who gets what and how. This often gets to the level that the highest decision body in the party, the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), is always polarised along group interest.

At this period, almost all the major institutional structures in the party and government seem to have been polarised along the interest of the Justice Forum and the Mandate Movement as there is currently a sharp division among the GAC, serving and past Council Chairmen, serving and past House of Assembly members, serving and past House of Representatives members, serving and past political appointees and even serving and past Senators who are of the Lagos APC extraction.

One significant thing is that the two political caucuses often time, pledge their loyalty to President Bola Tinubu whom they perceive as their unifier and benefactor. Secondly, both groups lay claim to huge grassroots presence and followership. The two groups rekindled their battle few days ago when they held separate inter-faith prayer session for President Bola Tinubu in commemoration of his 72nd birthday in Lagos. Both caucuses threw tantrum at each other at the seperate venue as they claimed to be the dominant and overarching group in the Lagos APC.

The first to hold prayer session was the Mandate Movement which has as its leader, a GAC member, Cardinal James Odunmbaku (Baba Eto). The group which held its prayer session at Oduduwa way in the GRA area of Ikeja, has the backing of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt (Hon) Mudashiru Obasa, the Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr Tayo Ayinde, former Minister of Works, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, Sen. Ganiyu Solomon, the State Party Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi and other notable Lagos political bigwigs.

Addressing the gathering, Obasa charged members of the group to begin to hold meeting twice a month after Ramadan, adding that they should openly declare their support for Mandate Movement in their various local council.

He explained that the group is loyal to the President, adding that the group respects the party. “We respect our party leadership. We are APC members. We belong to Tinubu and we are guided by his political philosophy. If our party (APC) Chairman summons us today, we will go because we respect the State Chairman. So, don’t be scared to openly say you are members of Mandate”, Obasa told the attendees. In his remarks, Ayinde explained that The Mandate Movement would continue to stand by the President, adding that Tinubu had shown capacity and competence. Ayinde added that the Prayer Session was neccessary to celebrate Tinubu’s birthday and pray for his continuous success in the running of the country’s affairs. He expressed confidence that Tinubu would lay strong foundation for the country’s development and that his successor after 8 years would continue from there.

In his comments, Odunmbaku told the attendees not to be scared of openly supporting the Mandate Movement, adding that they would end up becoming beneficiaries of the Movement. He said the Movement has the backing of major stakeholders in Lagos APC, urging the members not to be swing by any propaganda.

Meanwhile, the Justice Forum led by the Ikeja House of Representatives member and Secretary of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, Hon. James Faleke, has the strong backing of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Chairman of the GAC and close ally of President Tinubu, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, former Lagos APC and Commissioner under Tinubu in 1999, Otunba Henry Ajomale, former Deputy Governors, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Mrs Joke Orelope, Mrs Sarah Sosan, GAC member and former Secretary to the State Government, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Bashorun, GAC member, Otunba Bushira Alebiosu, former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, amongst others. The group which held its own prayer session in a hall at Agidingbi road, Ikeja, believed they cannot be cowed to submission in the party.

Addressing the gathering, Prince Olusi, said that the group was the first to come up in Lagos APC, adding that it was a political group that produced Asiwaju Tinubu as Governor in 1999.

Olusi said that those who control the Lagos APC were majorly in Justice Forum, adding that it was a group that gives equal opportunities to all. He acknowledged the spread of the group’s membership at grassroots, urging the members to continue to hold their meetings.

“ Some people in our party do not know the history of Lagos APC. Those who know decided to claim ignorance which is their own problem. Justice Forum, is th oldest and first caucus in Lagos APC. We dominate the party both at the state level and the local government level. Any other group comes after us.

“You all should continue to hold your meetings in your various local governments. For us to be able to control the crowd at this event, we only ask each local government to come with 50 members and you all can see how the crowd is”, said Olusi.

Meanwhile, Hon. James Faleke, who is also the Lagos State Coordinator of the forum, appreciated the understanding and support of all Nigerians in the face of the present economic realities.

He assured citizens that their patience and perseverance would not be in vain. The lawmaker said the essence of the prayers offered to Mr President was to celebrate him and also ask God to guide him to realise the gains of his economic reforms. “Asiwaju is a juggernaut, he is a generous man, he has built human capacity, he has delivered in Lagos and he has already started to deliver in Nigeria. “What we know of him in the last 30 years has not changed and there is no way he is going to change. “He is going to serve Nigeria with all his heart because he is a leader and you don’t find too many of him in any generation.

“After Awolowo, it is Asiwaju in Yoruba land and nobody can dispute it. He is our man and the President of Nigeria,” he said. Faleke wished the president more happy years on earth. A close ally of President Tinubu who spoke with WesternPost on condition of anonymity, said the President was aware of the renewed battle, saying that he gave his support to both groups. The APC Chieftain added that President Tinubu sees them as his political godsons who want to re-establish their loyalty to him ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“ President Tinubu, will definitely seek re-election in 2027 and so he sees the groups as his own. He belongs to both JF and Mandate Movement. He is aware of their struggle to control Lagos APC ahead of 2027.

“President Tinubu, needs everyone for the re–election and majorly to win Lagos. He does not want what happened in 2023 in Lagos where Labour Party (LP) won APC at the presidential election to happen again”, said the Chieftain.

Meanwhile, some political observers opined that the outcome of the 2025 APC local government primaries would determine the strongest and most influential group between the two groups.