The debate over whether Princess Samiat Abolanle Bada, the Mayoress of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, should be described as a “Kingmaker” has revealed more than a disagreement over political language. It has exposed competing interpretations of influence within Kosofe APC as the party moves towards 2027.
Reactions to Kosofe Inside Out’s recent analysis largely reflected existing political alignments. Members of Bada’s camp defended the description, citing her role in mobilising support for aspirants who later emerged victorious. Opposing camps within the APC argued that the title overstated her position in Kosofe’s political hierarchy.
Some criticism went further, suggesting that Bada’s growing influence was being presented as a challenge to the party’s established leadership. That was not the argument projected in the original article. The analysis examined her role in recent political outcomes; it did not suggest that the existing hierarchy had been displaced.
Nor should either side’s reaction be mistaken for a neutral assessment. The responses are themselves part of the internal politics.
The more useful question is: what does this debate reveal about how power actually works within Kosofe APC?
The Established Order
Kosofe APC’s political hierarchy predates the current generation of council chairmen.
Otunba Busura Adedeji Alebiosu, popularly known as Bush of Africa, occupies the recognised apex leadership position in Kosofe. His influence extends into Lagos East, and he serves on the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council.
That authority is rooted in decades of political relationships, party leadership and participation in Lagos’s wider political establishment.
Omoba Olumuyiwa Sosanya, another member of the Governance Advisory Council, is also an established Kosofe political leader, while Chief Stephen Oyedele remains a senior figure in the party’s decision-making structure.
Alongside them are other important stakeholders: elected representatives, former officeholders, council leaders, party executives, ward leaders and grassroots organisers.
Understanding this structure is essential to understanding the controversy. Political authority and electoral mobilisation are connected, but they are not the same form of power.
The Grassroots Factor
That is where Bada’s recent political record becomes relevant.
Her role in the political operation around Kafilat Ogbara in 2022, followed by her support for Mayor Dele Oshinowo and Dr Muritala Seriki in 2026, has strengthened her reputation as an effective grassroots operator.
Those outcomes formed the basis of the original “Kingmaker” analysis. The description was an interpretation of her role in recent political contests, not the creation of a new party office or a claim that Kosofe’s established hierarchy had changed.
Senior leaders draw authority from history, institutional standing, relationships and participation in wider party decision-making. Grassroots operators bring another kind of political capital: organisation, local networks and the capacity to build support around particular aspirants cum candidates.
Usually, those forces reinforce one another. The fault lines become visible when they do not.
The Real Politics Behind the Argument
That tension is what makes the reactions to the “Kingmaker” article politically significant.
They reveal a party with several layers of influence rather than a single structure moving uniformly behind one individual. Kosofe APC has elders with longstanding authority, major stakeholders with independent networks, elected officials with political constituencies and grassroots operators capable of influencing contests on the ground.
The 2026 primaries demonstrated what happens when some of those interests diverge. The more consequential question ahead of 2027 is what happens when they have to come together again.
Primaries test the strength of individual camps. General elections test whether those camps can become a party again.
That is where the real significance of this debate lies.
The argument over “Kingmaker” may have started with Bada, but it has ended up exposing something much larger about Kosofe APC: authority, influence and the ability to deliver political outcomes do not always sit in the same hands.
What Does This Mean for Kosofe?
For residents, however, there is a more important question than who sits where in the APC hierarchy.
What does all this political influence actually deliver for Kosofe?
Residents dealing with roads, drainage, schools, healthcare, security, jobs and the everyday pressures of living and doing business in the constituency are unlikely to measure political power simply by who wins an internal contest or who carries the biggest title.
They will ultimately experience politics through representation and governance.
That is why the debate over political influence should not end with politicians and their supporters arguing over who made whom.
If Kosofe has experienced leaders, powerful stakeholders, effective grassroots organisers and elected representatives with access to different levels of government, the more consequential test is whether that collective political capital can be converted into tangible outcomes for the constituency.
As 2027 approaches, Kosofe APC will have to manage its rivalries, accommodate competing interests and rebuild common purpose after the battles of the primaries.