Lagos assembly lawmaker joins ADC from Labour party

Foluke Stella Osafile, the sole opposition member of the Labour Party in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has left the party to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), altering the political dynamics within the state legislature.

Osafile, who represents the Amuwo Odofin State Constituency I, was the last remaining Labour Party member in the Assembly’s 40-seat body. Her departure followed the loss of the Amuwo Odofin Constituency II seat by a fellow Labour Party lawmaker, as the Election Petition Tribunal and Court of Appeal upheld the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Rauf Olawale Age Sulaiman’s, victory.

As a first-time legislator, Osafile has been chairing the House Committee on Wealth Creation since the 10th Assembly’s inauguration. She is expected to make a formal announcement regarding her defection to the ADC during an upcoming plenary session.

The lawmaker confirmed her party switch, though she did not elaborate on her reasons for the decision and promised that her colleagues would be notified at the next meeting.

Elected to the Lagos Assembly in 2023 as a Labour Party candidate, Osafile won decisively against APC’s Folorunso Olaitan Segun, despite initial challenges from the APC in the Election Petition Tribunal that ruled against her. She succeeded in reclaiming her seat through the Court of Appeal, which resolved the legal dispute and affirmed her position in the Assembly.

Her shift to the ADC represents a notable change in the political landscape, considering she was the only opposition figure in the assembly until now, and is expected to influence future political strategies in Lagos State.