The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Epe Federal Constituency is set for a decisive primary on Friday, May 15, as party members prepare to choose their flagbearer ahead of the 2027 general election.
The contest is shaping up as one of the most closely watched intra-party battles in Lagos State, not only because of the number of high-profile contenders involved, but also because of the stakes: the emergence of a candidate who will attempt to consolidate APC’s dominance in the constituency.
EDITOR’S PICKS
At the centre of the race is the incumbent, Wale Raji, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term after making history in 2023 as the first lawmaker to secure a third consecutive mandate for Epe Federal Constituency.
Challenging him are three prominent aspirants: a serving Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairman, a former state commissioner and federal commissioner, and a community philanthropist with a doctoral degree and grassroots following.
Together, they represent contrasting political backgrounds — incumbency and federal experience, local government leadership, technocratic governance, and community-based mobilisation.
EKO HOT BLOG has compiled a detailed profile of each aspirant below.
WALE RAJI (INCUMBENT)
Antecedents
Wale Raji has represented Epe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives since 2015, serving three consecutive terms under the APC. His 2023 re-election made him the first lawmaker in the constituency’s history to secure a third term, setting up his current bid for a fourth.
A trained engineer and graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Raji has built his political career around legislative representation, constituency development, and federal engagement. He currently chairs the House Committee on Livestock Development.
Within party and constituency circles, his political strength has been anchored on sustained grassroots presence and an extensive project delivery record across education, infrastructure, and social intervention programmes.
A recent ranking by Lagos-based Lagos Reporters, which assessed performance over a 1,000-day period, placed Raji second among all Lagos members of the House of Representatives, with 12,450 points, behind only Benson Adegoke of Ikorodu, who topped the list with 12,900 points.
Notable initiatives
Raji’s tenure is widely associated with large-scale constituency projects across Epe Federal Constituency.
In education, he has facilitated the construction and equipping of multiple facilities, including an 81-computer ICT centre at Ogunmodede College, a 100-bed student hostel at Epe Grammar School, and science and classroom blocks across institutions such as Igbooye Community High School, Army High School Epe, Odomola Secondary School, Oko-Abe, Ilege, and Owu-Ikosi communities.
He has also delivered classroom blocks across several schools in the constituency and supported the rehabilitation and expansion of educational infrastructure in both urban and rural communities.
On economic development, Raji facilitated the construction of an ultramodern market at Ayetoro and the provision of up to 800 lock-up and open market stalls across different communities to support small traders.
In infrastructure and welfare, his record includes the installation of 2,000 solar-powered streetlights in multiple locations, road rehabilitation projects, distribution of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and farming tools, and cash support schemes targeted at farmers, small-scale entrepreneurs, and the senior population (Owo Arugbo). He has also extended cooperative society loan support and food palliatives to vulnerable groups.
At the National Assembly, he has driven legislative interventions through his committee work. As chairman of the House Committee on Livestock Development, he has led public hearings on livestock-related bills and initiated investigations into issues affecting the sector, including unpaid compensation to poultry farmers affected by avian influenza outbreaks. He has also moved motions relating to public health concerns, including one that triggered a House directive for a joint committee investigation into claims that locally-fabricated grinding machines are contaminating food with heavy metals, citing findings by FIIRO’s Director-General linking the machines to cardiovascular disease and organ failure.
What he is promising
Raji’s campaign messaging has largely centred on continuity and consolidation. He has pledged to complete ongoing projects while expanding investments in education, infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and economic empowerment programmes.
He has also reaffirmed commitments to deepen youth development initiatives and expand welfare schemes for elderly and vulnerable residents, positioning his re-election bid as an opportunity to build on existing gains across the constituency.
“I remain committed to doing more for our people and ensuring that the dividends of democracy are felt in every community,” Raji affirmed during a recent engagement with wards A3 and A4 in Epe.
WALE ANOMO
Antecedents
Akogun Ibrahim Wale Raji Anomo is the Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDAs), one of the key administrative blocs within Epe Division.
A grassroots politician with strong local government experience, Anomo has built his political profile through council administration, party mobilisation, and community-based development initiatives. His supporters view his leadership as representative of the Epe North axis, which has also become part of the broader zoning conversation around the House of Representatives seat.
He has also received recognition for leadership and governance, including honours linked to public administration and local development performance.
Notable initiatives
As LCDA chairman, Anomo’s administration has focused heavily on education, youth development, and agricultural expansion.
In education, his government has inaugurated a block of three classrooms at LG Primary School, Otta-Ikosi, along with chairs, desks, marker boards, and other learning materials. In what has become a signature programme, his administration has run five editions of a scheme distributing 200 free GCE forms annually to indigent students across the LCDA. Other education initiatives include the Ikosi-Ejinrin School Bus Shuttle and the distribution of complete school packs to reduce dropout rates and improve access to education.
On agriculture and economic development, Anomo’s administration established a feedlot and cattle fattening centre in Igbodu community and has positioned Ikosi-Ejinrin as a growing agricultural hub. He has also played a role in attracting the Lagos Food and Logistics Hub project to the area.
At the 2026 Lagos State Budget Consultative Forum, Anomo pressed the state government to prioritise improved electricity supply, security, roads, and primary healthcare in the LCDA, particularly in light of the relocation of Oko-Baba Sawmills to the Owu-Agbowa axis — a development he noted supplies roughly 80 per cent of the woodwork used in Lagos and houses approximately 6,500 millers.
What he is promising
Anomo’s political message is anchored on grassroots representation and local government experience. He has emphasised continuity in youth empowerment, infrastructure development, and economic inclusion.
His broader political argument is tied to zoning, with supporters insisting that Epe North should produce the next federal representative, and that his position as a serving council chairman places him in a strategic position to advance that claim.
OLAYINKA OLADUNJOYE
Antecedents
Olayinka Oladunjoye is a lawyer, administrator, and long-time member of the APC with extensive experience in both public service and party leadership.
She holds multiple academic qualifications from the University of Lagos, including degrees in History and Law, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in the late 1990s. Her professional background also includes certifications in insurance and governance-related disciplines.
Her public service career spans several roles in Lagos State, including Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, and Commissioner for Education. She has also served within APC structures in Lagos East Senatorial District and held party leadership positions, including vice-chairmanship roles.
At the federal level, she has served as a Federal Commissioner at the National Population Commission, contributing to national data and registration reforms.
Oladunjoye’s political history in the constituency goes back over a decade. She ran for the House of Representatives seat for Epe Federal Constituency in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), making her one of the most experienced aspirants in the current field.
Notable initiatives
While Oladunjoye has not previously served as a federal lawmaker representing Epe, her public record includes policy-driven roles in education administration, commerce regulation, and institutional development.
As Education Commissioner in Lagos State, she was involved in sector reforms aimed at improving school administration and educational outcomes. In commerce and industry, she oversaw initiatives linked to MSME development and cooperative structures.
At the National Population Commission, her work has focused on strengthening data systems, including digitisation of birth and death registration processes.
Within party structures, she is also associated with internal mobilisation and organisational roles within APC Lagos East.
What she is promising
Oladunjoye’s campaign is anchored on experience, governance competence, and representation for women in politics.
She has proposed policies focused on healthcare access, including improved maternal care and expanded health coverage for constituents. She has also highlighted economic development opportunities in agriculture and agro-processing, particularly cassava and fisheries value chains within Epe.
Her supporters position her candidacy within the broader push for increased women’s representation in the National Assembly, arguing that her emergence would advance equity and inclusion in federal legislative seats.
Raji’s predecessor, Lanre Odubote, has said if given the opportunity, Oladunjoye would prove her worth by providing impactful representation for Epe at the Green Chambers.
BAKARE ISIAKA ADEYINKA (BIA) – “ERUOBODO”
Antecedents
Bakare Isiaka Adeyinka (BIA), popularly known as Eruobodo, is a community-based political figure and philanthropist with growing grassroots recognition in Epe Division.
He holds a doctoral degree and has built his public identity around philanthropy and community service rather than formal political office. In 2025, he was honoured with the Philanthropy and Humanitarian Service Award at the Epe Division Community Annual Awards, organised by the Concerned Nation Builders Initiative (CNI), in recognition of his contributions to community development and humanitarian engagement.
His political activities have largely centred on community engagement, youth mobilisation, and visibility within local development initiatives.
Notable initiatives
BIA’s public record is largely defined by philanthropy and community involvement rather than institutional governance projects.
His recognition at the 2025 Epe Division Community Annual Awards remains his most prominent documented public honour, highlighting contributions described by organisers as impactful across education, youth development, healthcare support, and community leadership.
He has also maintained a presence in grassroots mobilisation efforts, including youth engagement activities and community outreach events, where his supporters describe him as consistently accessible and involved in local concerns.
What he is promising
BIA, who also sought the APC ticket for the Epe Federal Constituency four years ago, presents himself as a symbol of credible, people-oriented leadership, with a mandate to serve with integrity and reposition for sustainable progress. However, he has not presented a detailed manifesto to the public. Requests for comments sent by EKO HOT BLOG to his representative were also not responded to at the time of filing this report.
In the absence of an official manifesto, a Facebook post attributed to his account outlines the kind of representative he intends to be, highlighting themes of accountability, inclusive development, youth empowerment, and economic advancement. The post also emphasises grassroots engagement and a commitment to attracting federal presence to unlock opportunities across communities, presenting his aspiration as a push for what he describes as a “New Dawn” for the constituency.
The Contest in Context
The APC primary in Epe Federal Constituency presents party members with a clear contrast of leadership profiles: an incumbent with extensive legislative and constituency project experience, a local government chairman with strong grassroots and zoning arguments, a former commissioner with deep administrative experience and a gender inclusion agenda, and a philanthropist-backed aspirant driven by community recognition and youth mobilisation.
FURTHER READING
As the party heads into the May 15 primary, the outcome is expected to reflect not only individual performance records, but also strategic considerations around zoning, experience, and internal party dynamics ahead of the 2027 general election.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
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