Lagos Assembly Majority Leader Hon. Noheem Adams has called a mass rally for Thursday, June 4, at Eleganza Toll Gate in Lekki, defying security concerns from residents who fear the gathering could provide cover for criminal elements recently reported to have entered the city.
The rally mobilises hundreds of supporters across Eti-Osa Constituency I — the same territory where Adams claims to have defeated former local government chairman Hon. Saheed Bankole by 7,635 votes to 1,225 in the APC House of Assembly primary held on May 20, 2026.
Meanwhile, Eti-Osa residents have have joined millions of other Lagosians to raised alarms about the reported infiltration of Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers, and bandits into the State in recent weeks.
Adams alleges that coordinated efforts are underway to overturn what he describes as a clear mandate freely given to him by party members in Eti-Osa Constituency I, with unnamed political actors working alongside the Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, to substitute his name on the APC ticket with that of his opponent, Saheed Bankole, who he alleges has familiar ties to the monarch.
Oba Elegushi’s palace has denied any involvement, insisting the throne remains neutral in partisan political matters and has no role in the APC primary election process. Former Lagos Commissioner for Home Affairs Prince Anofi Elegushi has demanded a public apology from Adams, stating that Adams’ verbal attacks in a widely circulated video showed a lack of respect for a monarch who had supported him throughout his political career.
The APC Lagos State chapter, in a list confirmed by party chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, formally named Saheed Bankole as the APC candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency I. No official response to Adams’ specific security concerns about the rally location has been issued by the Lagos State Police Command or the Lagos State Government as of the time of this report.
Adams is among several senior Assembly figures including, Chief Whip Hon. Fatai Mojeed, Deputy Chief Whip Hon. David Setonji and Hon. Desmond Elliot who lost their return tickets in what party insiders have described as a broader structural recalibration within Lagos APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. The rally proceeds Thursday at 9AM; Adams’ next formal avenue is a petition to the APC’s internal dispute resolution panel, whose deadline has not been publicly stated.
What You Need to Know About Eti-Osa APC Politics
Eti-Osa Local Government Area sits on the Lagos Mainland-Island axis, covering Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajah, and surrounding high-value neighbourhoods — one of the wealthiest and most politically contested territories in Lagos State. The constituency is split into two Assembly seats: Eti-Osa I (Lekki/Ikate corridor) and Eti-Osa II (Ikoyi/Victoria Island/Obalende).
Hon. Noheem Babatunde Adams has represented Eti-Osa Constituency I since October 16, 2017, when he won a by-election to replace the late Hon. Ademola Kazeem Alimi. He is currently serving his third term and was the Assembly’s Majority Leader — one of the most powerful floor positions in the House.
His rival, Hon. Saheed Adesegun Bankole, served as Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government, making him the key grassroots political operator in the area and one of the politicians described as within President Tinubu’s trusted inner network.
The January 2025 Lagos Assembly crisis is the hinge event behind the current breakdown. On January 13, 2025, while Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was reportedly abroad, 36 lawmakers staged his removal over allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office, installing Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda as the first female Speaker of a Lagos Assembly. Obasa’s reinstatement came when Meranda resigned barely six weeks later — and it was Noheem Adams himself who formally nominated Obasa for re-election as Speaker. Despite nominating Obasa, Adams was identified as one of the central figures in the January 2025 crisis that temporarily removed him — a contradiction that placed Adams in a precarious political position heading into the 2026 primaries.
The 2026 primaries produced one of the most significant shake-ups in the Lagos Assembly since the current political cycle began, with several ranking lawmakers and principal officers failing to secure return tickets.
