“It Had To Do With The Moshood Abiola Presidential Election”-Agbaje Speaks On His Journey To Politics

Olujimi Kolawole Agbaje Jimi Agbaje; is a Nigerian politician who has unsuccessfully contested for the governor of Lagos State for four consecutive times, between 2007 and 2019.

In a 2013 interview with The Punch, Agbaje talked about how he began in politics: “It had to do with the Moshood Abiola presidential election”, he said. “I saw the annulment as a personal insult and an assault on the Nigerian people. This led to my first entry into what I would call activism, working with other concerned professionals such as Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr Ayo Ighodaro, Asue Ighodalo, Billy Lawson, Oby Ezekwesili, Tola Mobolurin and Hassan Odukale.

Based on his affiliation with Afenifere, Jimi Agbaje joined the Action Congress (AC) – his first political party. In 2007, Agbaje who had initially aspired to contest for the governor of Lagos State on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) left the party to join the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA).

He was among the 11 aspirants that turned their back on the Action Congress (AC) when it was alleged that Governor Bola Tinubu had already secretly chosen someone else to succeed him even before the commencement of party primaries.

In 2007, Agbaje contested in gubernatorial election on the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) platform, but eventually, alongside other major contenders – Musiliu Obanikoro of PDP, Femi Pedro of Labour Party – lost to Babatunde Raji Fashola of the Action Congress (AC).

He left the DPA in 2011 and went on to join the People’s Democratic Party, PDP following the de-registration of DPA by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On 29 October 2014, he officially indicated his interest in giving the Lagos State gubernatorial elections another shot by picking up the PDP nomination form.

On 8 December 2014, it was reported that he emerged as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP for the 2015 Lagos State gubernatorial election, having defeated Musiliu Obanikoro in the primary. Musiliu Obanikoro is the former Minister of State for Defence who is also a member of the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

In October 2018, Agbaje secured the PDP’s ticket to run for the office of the governor of Lagos state. He defeated Adedeji Doherty to secure the ticket. Jimi Agbaje however lost to Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC, in the Lagos state gubernatorial election on 9 March 2019.

Jimi is married to Abiola Agbaje (née Bankole), a lawyer. The couple were set to have met as students at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). They have three children.

Source: Wikipedia

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