Nigeria: Anazado emerges ADC consensus candidate for Amuwo-Odofin

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Prince Anazado Josiah Azubuike has emerged as the consensus candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election.

Anazado secured 38 votes at the party’s substitution primary held in Lagos on Saturday. The exercise was conducted in the presence of ADC officials and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with the Electoral Act.

The primary was held to ratify Anazado as the party’s standard bearer for the constituency. Party leaders described the process as peaceful and transparent.

Speaking after the vote, Lagos State ADC Chairman, George Ashiru, said the party followed due process in selecting its candidate.

“We conducted this substitution primary in line with the Electoral Act,” Ashiru said. “The presence of INEC and party leadership was to ensure everything was done properly and transparently.”

Anazado’s emergence comes as the ADC seeks to reposition itself in Lagos ahead of 2027. The party has been building structures across the state and is targeting federal constituencies where it believes voters are looking for alternatives.

In his remarks, Ashiru expressed confidence that the ADC would perform strongly in the next general elections. He attributed the party’s optimism to what he called growing frustration with the current political order.

“Nigerians are tired and Nigerians need an incredible alternative to believe in,” he said. “They need a political party that they can look at and say, okay, this one looks like it can help us, and ADC has positioned itself as the party that can do so.”

Ashiru said the ADC’s strategy for 2027 would be different from traditional political alliances.

“The coalition of voters, not the coalition of politicians,” he explained. “When all voters just decide that we are going to support this particular party because the candidates and the message is unifying and covers every need, that’s what ADC is selling.”

He was particularly bullish about Lagos, arguing that many residents feel left out of governance.

“Lagosians are going to say no, not this time around,” Ashiru said. “This time around we are going to make a statement that we all have a part in the governance of the state.”

Also present at the event was Chief Owolabi Hafiz Bello, the ADC candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District. Bello criticized what he described as a long-standing culture of imposed candidates in Lagos politics.

“Politics in Lagos State has never been politics,” Bello said. “It has always been the old system, choosing somebody over the wish of the people. We need to always get the different narratives by doing the diligence, by voting. Let the people speak or make their choices.”

He urged voters to reject apathy and to elect people who can deliver on their promises.

Speaking after his emergence, Anazado said his background in community leadership and political science has prepared him for the work of lawmaking.

“I have studied so much about public policy, democratic institutions and also lawmaking, which happens to be the major work of a legislator,” he said.

The candidate promised inclusive representation focused on infrastructure, youth and women empowerment, and support for vulnerable residents in Amuwo-Odofin.

He identified poor road networks as one of the biggest challenges facing the constituency and said he would push for greater federal intervention if elected.

“Amuwo-Odofin deserves better roads, better drainage, and better public facilities,” Anazado said. “We need to bring federal attention to the infrastructure deficit here.”

He also said he would prioritize policies to support small-scale businesses and low-income households.

“My legislative agenda will be about ordinary people,” he said. “How do we make life easier for the trader in Mile 2, the artisan in Festac, the student in Satellite Town? Those are the people I want to speak for.

Anazado was critical of previous representatives of the constituency, saying the state of infrastructure raised questions about what had been achieved over the years.

“It is quite unfortunate to say that most people at the National Assembly are there for their own parochial interests,” he said. “They don’t place the interests of the people that they are representing in their hearts.”

He pledged that his approach would be different, with regular engagement with constituents and transparency in legislative activities.

“If I am elected, the people of Amuwo-Odofin will know what I am doing in Abuja,” he said. “I will not go there and forget where I am coming from.”

Anazado also urged voters to resist vote-buying and to think long-term when making decisions at the polls.

“They should not sell their four-year future for a piece of porridge,” he said. “Even if politicians give them money, even if they take the money, they should vote their conscience. You cannot mortgage four years with a bag of rice.”

The comment drew applause from party members at the event, reflecting a broader message the ADC has been pushing: that 2027 should be about issues, not inducements.

The Amuwo-Odofin seat has traditionally been competitive, with major parties battling for influence in one of Lagos’ most diverse federal constituencies. The area covers Festac Town, Mile 2, Satellite Town, and parts of Kirikiri, with a large mix of traders, young professionals, and working-class families.

By presenting Anazado as a consensus candidate early, the ADC hopes to consolidate support and begin grassroots mobilization ahead of 2027. The party’s leadership believes that with the right message and candidates, it can break through in areas where voters are dissatisfied.

Ashiru said the party would focus on door-to-door campaigns, town halls, and policy-driven messaging rather than relying on political godfathers.

“We are not waiting for a merger of big politicians,” he said. “We are waiting for a movement of citizens.”

With INEC’s timetable for 2027 still to be released, parties are already laying groundwork. For the ADC in Lagos, Anazado’s emergence is being positioned as the start of a broader push.

“This is not about me,” he said. “This is about Amuwo-Odofin getting the representation it deserves. I am ready to serve.”

As the 2027 election cycle approaches, all eyes will be on whether the ADC’s “coalition of voters” strategy can translate into real gains in Lagos and beyond.