Aregbesola Meets With Grassroots Canvassers To Reclaim Influence In Lagos

Former governor of Osun State and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday night, October 5, 2025, met with progressive forces, grassroots canvassers, and local politicians in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State as part of renewed efforts to strengthen the party’s presence and influence in the state.

Aregbesola, who once stood as one of the most formidable figures within Lagos politics and a close ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appears to be consolidating his political comeback—this time from the opposition flank.

In a post shared on his social media handle, Aregbesola described the meeting as part of a wider mission to “enthrone a people-centred government that truly serves the interests of the masses and restores progressive ideals.”

The meeting, which drew dozens of ADC supporters and grassroots mobilisers, is seen as another move in the party’s quiet but calculated bid to position itself as the principal opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general election.

With Aregbesola now at the centre of ADC’s national structure, the party is increasingly attracting politicians and activists dissatisfied with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu’s style of leadership.

Observers say the former minister of interior is leveraging his deep political roots in Lagos—Nigeria’s commercial capital and Tinubu’s traditional stronghold—to build a credible counterweight to the president’s political machinery. Eti-Osa, one of the state’s most politically active local councils, has in recent years become a testing ground for shifting voter sentiment, especially among the youth and middle-class population.

Aregbesola’s re-emergence as a key opposition figure marks a striking political turn for a man once regarded as one of the architects of Tinubu’s enduring dominance in Lagos politics.

Now, as National Secretary of the ADC, he is positioning the party as the vehicle of convergence for various opposition elements united by the goal of challenging the president’s re-election bid.

As the 2027 elections inches nearer , Sunday’s meeting underscores the growing contest for Lagos—a state that remains both the symbolic and strategic heart of Nigeria’s political economy.