Zainab Aderinsola, youth leader of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Lagos state, says Adelaja Adeoye, the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, is the frontline alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
In a statement on Monday, Aderinsola said Adeoye’s early entry into the 2027 race, private-sector experience, political background and policy agenda distinguished him from other opposition aspirants seeking to unseat the APC.
She said Lagos had been governed by one dominant political machine for more than two decades, which she described as “skilled at continuity and weak at listening”.
Aderinsola said Adeoye was not a newcomer to Lagos, having lived, worked and built businesses in the state before entering the 2027 governorship contest.
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“Lagos does not lack ambition. It lacks a politics that matches its size,” Aderinsola said.
“Lagos has outgrown a politics in which a few men choose the governor and the rest of the state adjusts.
“For more than two decades, the state has been run by one dominant machine. Roads are awarded at inflated cost and still fail under ordinary use. Traffic remains a daily tax on workers, traders and businesses.
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“Lagos is a city of numbers, land and systems. A candidate who has spent years pricing housing, managing contractors and delivering projects starts from a different place than a career politician whose main product is patronage.”
She said Adeoye, born on May 2, 1981, had roots in Ijebu communities in Lagos East, particularly Ikorodu and Epe, as well as the Awori lineage of Lagos West.
According to her, Adeoye holds a diploma in computer science, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Lagos and a master’s degree in property development and management from Leadcity University.
She said he was also pursuing an executive master of business administration, describing his academic and professional background as relevant to managing a complex metropolis such as Lagos.
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Aderinsola said Adeoye’s experience as group managing director and chief executive officer of Fendini Group had exposed him to property development, infrastructure and mixed-use projects.
Aderinsola said Adeoye’s political journey had also given him experience in party organisation and electoral politics.
According to her, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2009, later became pioneer publicity secretary of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Lagos and subsequently served as national publicity secretary.
She said Adeoye returned to the PDP in 2021 and contested the Oshodi-Isolo federal constituency II seat in the 2023 house of representatives election.
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Aderinsola said he left the PDP in May 2026 after disagreements over internal leadership and legal issues, which he believed were distracting the party from addressing issues affecting Nigerians.
She said his subsequent emergence as the APM governorship candidate was the result of a process involving screening, clearance and a consensus primary.
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According to her, Adeoye was affirmed at the APM governorship primary held in Yaba on July 23, with delegates from the 20 local government areas endorsing him.
She said Kemi Adenuga became his running mate after the party replaced its earlier placeholder deputy governorship candidate.
Aderinsola said the APM candidate’s early mobilisation was another factor supporting his claim as a frontline alternative to the APC in 2027.
She said the Laja Adeoye Campaign Organisation had commenced issue-based outreach across Lagos, including Lagos Island, Epe, Alimosho, Badagry, Ikeja and the Mainland.
