In terms of the previous Senate elections, two of the three incumbent senators were returned as Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Central) and Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC-West) were re-elected while Gbenga Bareehu Ashafa (APC-East) lost renomination. In the Central district, Tinubu was re-elected with 58% of the vote as Adeola held his western seat with 53%; in the open East seat, Adebayo Osinowo held the seat for the APC with 59% of the vote. These results were a part of the continuation of the Lagos APC's dominance as most House of Representatives seats were won by the party, it won a majority in the House of Assembly, and Buhari won the state in the presidential election.
On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May.[8] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process.[9] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May.[10][11][12][13]
On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦1 million and the nomination form price at ₦20 million with a 50% discount for candidates between 25 and 30. Forms were to be sold until 1 April but the party later extended the deadline four times before reaching a final deadline of 22 April. After the submission of nomination forms by 25 April, candidates were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary.[19] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May;[20] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[21][22][23][24]
Before the primary, analysts noted three major candidates: Adesunbo Onitiri, Adetokunbo Pearse, and Wale Gomez with an anonymous party chieftain naming Onitiri—the 2019 nominee—as the frontrunner.[15] However, on primary day, Gomez won the nomination amid massive controversy and protests as party officials had allegedly switched venues at the last minute.[25]
On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May.[8] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process.[9] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May.[10][11][12][13]
On the primary date, an indirect primary in Magodo resulted in the renomination of Abiru unopposed. In his acceptance speech, Abiru praised party members and promised to do more for the district.[27]
On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦1 million and the nomination form price at ₦20 million with a 50% discount for candidates between 25 and 30. Forms were to be sold until 1 April but the party later extended the deadline four times before reaching a final deadline of 22 April. After the submission of nomination forms by 25 April, candidates were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary.[19] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May;[28] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[21][22][23][29]
On the primary date, four candidates contested an indirect primary in Somolu that ended in Nicholas Akobada winning the nomination after results showed him defeating runner-up Agnes Adenike-Shobajo by an 11-vote margin. However, the primary was marred by controversy over alleged irregularities and a purportedly manipulated delegate list.[30]
Analysis from The Nation in late December 2022 gave the advantage to Abiru, in large part to the relatively little active campaigning conducted by Akobada.[31]
On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May.[8] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process.[9] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May.[10][11][12][13]
After Adeola announced that he was vacating the seat, the immediate frontrunner in the primary was Musiliu Obanikoro—former Senator and former Minister of State for Defence; however, state party leadership instead backed former Deputy Governor Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire for the seat.[15] However, Orelope-Adefulire did not return the primary forms and suddenly withdrew from the contest, pushing state party leadership to draft another former Deputy Governor—Oluranti Adebule—as a candidate.[33] However, the deadline for candidate entry had already passed and the sudden Adebule candidacy led to controversy.[34] On the primary date, results showed victory for Adebule over Obanikoro by a significant margin of 55%. Adebule thanked delegates in her acceptance speech and promised quality representation.[35] For his part, Obanikoro walked out of the venue and later claimed that Adebule was not eligible to run in the primary.[36][37][38] In a purported attempt to placate Obanikoro, Lagos APC leadership pressured its Eti-Osa Federal Constituency nominee Oyekanmi Elegushi to withdraw for Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro—Musiliu Obanikoro's son and the runner-up in the Eti-Osa APC primary.[39][40]
On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦1 million and the nomination form price at ₦20 million with a 50% discount for candidates between 25 and 30. Forms were to be sold until 1 April but the party later extended the deadline four times before reaching a final deadline of 22 April. After the submission of nomination forms by 25 April, candidates were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary.[19] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May;[41] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[21][22][23][42]
Before the primary, observers noted potential issues with both candidates as frontrunner Segun Adewale had previously contested several elections in his native Ekiti State while Yommy Ogungbe is from the Badagry area just like gubernatorial candidate Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran; after three terms of Adeola, an anonymous party member surmised that some voters may prefer an indigene senator while pundits doubted that both a senatorial and gubernatorial nominee could emerged from the same area.[15] Reporting also noted Adewale's multiple electoral defeats and legal issues.[43] In the primary, Adewale defeated Ogungbe by a wide margin; in his acceptance speech, Adewale thanked delegates and pledged to work with party members to win the general election.[44]
Analysis from The Guardian in December 2022, labeled Adebule as the frontrunner due to APC strength in the area but noted Adewale's experience in the district.[45] A piece from The Africa Report in January echoed those sentiments; however, it pointed out opportunities for Adewale: namely, the district's high non-indigene population (a PDP-leaning demographic) and Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola's discontent with his own APC (Aregbesola has large amounts of supporters in Alimosho). Analysts contended that if Aregbesola backed Adewale and/or Adewale successfully convinced most Labour Party supporters to vote for him on the senatorial line, Adewale had a chance.[46]
