Kunle Adelabu
Suspense and anxiety have heightened as the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to release the list of names of Governorship and State Assemblies candidates of various political parties in the country tomorrow.
INEC had announced about two weeks ago when it released the Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senatorial and the House of Representatives list, that the final list for the Governorship, Deputy Governorship and State Assemblies candidates will be made public on October 4. Since then, the countdown, which ended today, had begun, especially in many places such as lkorodu where political parties failed to organize proper primary elections and where there are political intrigues and permutations that are beyond human comprehension.
It has been confusion since May when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), conducted their respective primary elections for the Governorship and Assembly elections. But while the Governorship candidate can go to sleep, it has been sleepless months for the Assembly aspirants, even for those that are preferred candidates of the tow parties.
For the APC, both Ikorodu Constituency I and II elections were enmeshed in crisis, but the party had, in June, presented INEC forms to Mr Gbolahan Adetokunbo Ogunleye (OGA) and Mr Aro Moshood Abiodun (AMA), as its candidates for Constituency I and II respectively. But this does not stop the traditional bickering within the party which indicates uncertainty regarding who represents her in elections.
At a point, the mandate of both preferred candidates were challenged by other aspirants. In Constituency II, it was the incumbent, Hon. Saka Nurudeen Solaja, Chairman, Public Accounts, Lagos State House of Assembly, who first challenged the emergence of Aro, stating that he won the primary election. THE IMPACT gathered that Hon. Solaja is still very much confident in his return.
Like Aro who has the backing of highly placed politicians, Solaja too is counting on the massive support from the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and other powerful forces.
Mr Oluwatosin Onamade, another aspirant for the Constituency II seat, also challenged the emergence of Aro as the party’s candidate at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, but the court ruled in favour of Aro. He has since appealed the matter.
The fight for the Ikorodu Constituency II seat is majorly between the State APC favoured candidate, Mr Aro Abiodun and the incumbent, Hon. Saka Solaja. While Aro is making necessary consultations to consolidate on his emergence, THE IMPACT gathered that Solaja has been going about with confidence that he will be returned.
But Aro is also not sleeping as he continually reach out to ensure that he sustain his mandate.
Like the situation in Ikorodu Constituency II, similar things are playing out in Constituency I, especially between Mr Gbolahan Ogunleye who is favoured by the party at the State level and the incumbent representative of the constituency, Hon. Sanai Oyeniran Agunbiade who is currently serving his fourth term.
Until recently when the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, announced the re – appointment of Mr Oluwatoyin Gafaar Bolowotan as the Director – General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Bolowotan who also aspired for the Ikorodu Constituency I seat, also challenged the emergence of Ogunleye as the party’s candidate.
While stating that he was the rightful winner of the primary election that was shrouded in secrecy, Bolowotan also challenged the educational qualifications of Gbolahan Ogunleye, especially his certificate as graduate of the Lagos State University and the issue caused serious controversies within the University community and Ikorodu. Going by the happenings in the recent time, Bolowotan seems not to be interested in the race again.
This situation, THE IMPACT gathered, may have emboldened Mr Ogunleye and his team, more so, that many of those power – brokers supporting Bolowotan have also accepted his emergence.
However, Hon. Agunbiade, who is the Chairman, Southwest Majority Leaders and Nigerian Majority Leaders Forum, still seems interested in the lawmaking duties. There are rumours that he might be returned to stand in the general elections for the APC for the fifth time.
THE IMPACT gathered the Majority Leader of the Lagos Assembly has strategically stayed away from public space since the whole permutations started and engaging in necessary political contacts which has been turning out favourable for his quest.
It was also gathered from highly placed sources that the party hierarchy, has agreed on Hon. Agunbiade to be returned after powerful interventions by power that installed members of the state executives and for other political considerations. Though, we also gathered that powerful forces, especially from Ikorodu are also working against his return out of personal and political differences.
These situations in both constituencies have caused uncertainties and rumors amongst followers of contending aspirants and party members.
In the PDP, it is similar situation as there was no primary election for both Ikorodu Constituency I and II seats on the three occasions that the elections were scheduled and re – scheduled for, but it was gathered that, like the APC arrangement, Mr Olalekan Olamide Lawal and Prince Adewale Isiaka Oyebo are favoured by the party as candidates for the Ikorodu Constituency I and II respectively.
But there had been protests from Mr Balogun Rotimi and Idowu Hammed Odunayo, popularly called ‘Collabo’, both of whom were aspirants for the Ikorodu Constituency I and II respectively.
Although, Odunayo is no longer challenging the Ikorodu Constituency II election, the same cannot be said of the Ikorodu Constituency l.
For other parties, there is no cause for alarm.
However, the whole anxiety and uncertainties are expected to subside in the next few hours when INEC releases its final list which would reveal candidates that would be standing as flagbearers of their respective parties, for the Governorship and State Assembly seats in the 2023 general elections.
