As Lagosians looks ahead to 2019, when another round of elections would be holding across the country to vote for tbose that would occupy some positions, including the governor, senators, members of House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly, for the next four years. Aspirants to these listed offices are already lobbying, while their loyalists and supporters are equally doing everything to ensure that they don’t take any chances.
In the last few months, Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has continued to receive gale of endorsements from across the state from chapters of the party at the senatorial and local government levels. Almost all local government areas across the state, including Agege, where the Speaker, Honourable Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, hails from; Igbogbo/Bayeku, Ikosi-Ketu, Ijede, Imota, Ikorodu North, West, and Central, Somolu, Oshodi, Apapa-Iganmu, among others all endorsed the governor for a Second Term in office.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) platform is ever more prepared for the all-important race that is barely five months ahead. It is not about the governorship race alone, which no other aspirant has come out so far to challenge the incumbent, Governor Ambode, on the same platform or even from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Senatorial race is also getting more than a passing attention in APC.
From Lagos West is a report that about five gladiators are in the race already and they include: Senator Olamilekan Solomon aka Yayi, who is the incumbent; the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Demola Seriki, who is also former Defence Minister; Mr Kayode Opeifa, former Commissioner for Transport under Babatunde Fashola, and finally Mrs Adejoke Oorelope Adefulire who was Fashola’s deputy Governor.
For the Lagos East Senatorial District, which Senator Gbenga Ashafa is currently representing, the district looks tensed, but notwithstanding, feelers indicate that Ashafa will be having it tough with some other aspirants within the party, who have been flagging off their aspirations at after concluded with their ongoing consultations and secured a go-ahead.
It was gathered, for instance, that a very prominent member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebayo Osinowo aka Pepperito, is challenging Senator Ashafa, and that the senatorial ambition of Hon. Osinowo, who has been in the State House of Assembly since 1999, about one of the two longest-serving members in the House, is likely to give strong battle. A close source revealed to MegaXpression Magazine that already Osinowo, who is a kingmaker in the House and was largely responsible for installing former Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and the sitting Speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, has concluded consultations with stakeholders in the state and particularly with the national Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Another aspirant, who is challenging Ashafa, Otunba Ganiu Olusegun Abiru, he was the former Clerk, Lagos State House of Assembly, where he served meritoriously. Abiru is also the current Chairman of Ikorodu Development Association, IKODASS. Findings show that the Ikorodu-born politician is contesting for the 2019 race, due to the marginalization bestowed on Ikorodu Division. But Otunba Abiru has just withdrew from the race, hinging his decision on the unfavorable disposition of Ikorodu Division leadership.
Other contestants from East are Chief Lanre Rasak from Epe, Otunba Dengel Anifowose also from Epe, among others.
Regarding Lagos Central, it would appear that the chapter is a closed one as far as APC is concerned basically because a return ticket of the party has been offered to the incumbent, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is the wife of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Tinubu. Leaders, elders and party faithful in Lagos Central were said to have been unanimous in their support for the woman politician for providing quality representation both at the National Assembly and in Lagos, where she has so far empowered her constituents far more than any of her colleagues.
But ahead of 2019 poll, political analysts are already seeing that Lagos West would become a real battleground of sort with all its intrigues, permutations and strategies that would be deplored by gladiators, their loyalists and supporters. Therefore, it is not going to be an easy ride for whoever is going to clinch the party ticket as indications to this are daily unfolding.
It is also this same Lagos West that is more than a home to the Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who is also said to be nursing his own senatorial ambition, ahead 2019, once he leaves office in the next few months. Should Aregbesola decide to join the race as being strongly speculated, the battle for who gets the party’s ticket among the aspirants would become more than a child’s play and indeed an acid test for the party itself, going by the fact that Alimosho, where Aregbesola holds forth, being the largest local governments in the state, was where Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had his list of appointees for local government totally rejected.
SHAKIRU SEIDU,
Publisher, MegaXpression Magazine.
08099799530
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