KOSOFE CONSTITUENCY II: THE FEMI SAHEED QUESTION — Has the Quiet Lawmaker Done Enough To Earn Another Term?

By Olusegun Apena

Unlike the fireworks in Constituency I, where Hon. Sanni Okanlawon is fighting off seven aspirants and an anti-third-term revolt, the political affairs in Kosofe Constituency II are more measured, more whispered. The question, however, is the same: has the incumbent done enough?

Hon. Femi Saheed, the lawmaker representing Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu and environs, assumed office in 2020 after winning a bye-election to replace the late Hon. Tunde Buraimoh. Now serving his first full term, he is a ranking member of the House and currently chairs the powerful House Committee on Finance. Yet he has kept a low profile. As the APC primary approaches, the constituency is asking - quietly but firmly - whether that quietness is competence or invisibility.

 Femi Saheed’s Scorecard

Saheed is not a headline-hugging politician. He does not dominate WhatsApp groups, except when he moved the motion for the impeachment of Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on the floor of the House, a move that marked him as a key player in internal Assembly politics, he does not court controversy, and he rarely speaks on the floor in soundbites that travel. His supporters call this “maturity” and “focus.” His critics call it “absence.”

In five years, his visible record includes:

Constituency projects: facilitation of streetlights in parts of Ikosi-Isheri, Construction of 1200 capacity Ikosi-Ketu Community Stadium and rehabilitation of three inner roads in Agboyi-Ketu.

Legislative work: Chairman, House Committee on Finance — a strategic position that gives him influence over appropriation and revenue matters. However, he is yet to sponsor a major bill in his name and is still seen more as a “loyal party man” than as a policy initiator.

The argument for him is stability and ranking. “He is not fighting anybody, he is not making noise, he is working with the party, and he is chairman of the finance committee,” an APC chieftain in Ketu told Kosofe Reporters.

The argument against him is impact. Kosofe Constituency II is a complex mix of urban slums, middle-class estates and industrial clusters. The issues are drainage, flooding, traffic gridlock around Mile 12/Ketu, and youth unemployment. Residents say they have not felt a transformative touch, and three roads in five years - while acknowledged - do not match the scale of the problems.

So, has Femi Saheed done enough to merit another term?

The honest answer: - he has the position and the political courage, but not yet the constituency performance to make it automatic.

He has not failed. There is no scandal, no open rebellion, no “anti-Saheed” group like the one hounding Okanlawon next door. His chairmanship of the Finance Committee and his role in the Obasa impeachment show he is not a backbencher in Alausa politics. But he has not produced the kind of signature project or legislative footprint that makes another term inevitable. 

The Challenger in the Wings: Mayor Dele Osinowo

The rumour that has refused to die in Agboyi-Ketu is that Mayor Dele Osinowo, the award-winning former Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, may contest the Assembly seat.

Osinowo is not a lightweight political figure. He governed Agboyi-Ketu for two terms and left with a reputation as a “project chairman.” His scorecard includes:

Road infrastructure: construction and rehabilitation of over 30 inner roads across Agboyi, Ketu, Alapere, Ajelogo and Ajegunle, including the once impassable Ajegunle road network.

Education: renovation of primary schools, provision of furniture, and annual distribution of free GCE forms to indigent students.

Health: upgrade of primary health centres and regular medical outreaches.
Empowerment: large-scale vocational training for youths and women, with start-up equipment.

Politics: strong grassroots structure, deep knowledge of ward politics, and personal relationship with community leaders.
His strength is that people remember his tenure.

But if Osinowo runs, the race changes immediately. He has name recognition, a record to point to, and the resources to prosecute a primary. Saheed’s committee chair and Alausa influence would be tested against Osinowo’s street credibility and project history.

The Field Ahead

For now, no other aspirant has formally declared. But in Kosofe, the APC primary is the real election, and the period between April and May 2026 will see declarations. 

Conclusion:
Kosofe Constituency II is not angry at Femi Saheed. It is simply unsure about him.

The 2027 primary will be a referendum on visibility, not loyalty. Saheed has the advantage of incumbency, the Finance Committee chair, and a record of political boldness in the House. However, if Dele Osinowo enters the race with his LCDA record, the incumbent will have a real fight on his hands.

In Kosofe Constituency II, the people are watching. Quietly.