-Appeal to aspirants to accept decisions
Kunle Adelabu
The forthcoming primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday took a new turn following the decision of the apex body of the party in Ikorodu Division, endorsing all the incumbents as candidates of the party.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the apex body of the party in the division which THE IMPACT gathered was summoned by the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and a chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Abiodun Ogunleye.
At the meeting held at the Solomade home of the political leader, the APC leadership endorsed President Bola Tinubu to return as the candidate of the party for President, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as the Governorship candidate, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru as the Senatorial candidate while Rep. Babajimi Benson was also endorsed as the candidate for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency seat.
Also, Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye and Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun are endorsed as the APC candidates for Ikorodu Constituency I and II respectively.
It was gathered that after a heated debate on the endorsement, Alhaji Musiliu Adewale Sulaimon (Ola4), moved the motion for the return of the incumbents, a motion that was supported by many of the members of the apex body while some others opposed it.
Some of the leaders who agreed with the decision to endorse the incumbent representatives, were of the opinion that such should have been done before now.
THE IMPACT also gathered that the issue of elected representatives’ performances also came up for discussions during the endorsement debate and it was resolved that party representatives should communicate their performances and actions very well to the party and the members of the public.
It was also agreed that leaders at the meeting should go back to their various constituencies and groups to inform their people and followers of the decision of the party.
Prince Lanre Balogun, former Commissioner for Rural Development, one of the proponents of the endorsement speaking with THE IMPACT confirmed the decision of the apex leaders.
He said that the decisions were based on giving the incumbents that have performed the opportunity to continue and those that only spent one term the opportunity to return another to prove themselves.
“The meeting was an initiative of the apex leader, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye. It was a kind of emergency meeting for us to endorse all the contestants in APC from the Presidency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who knows that the Ikorodu Division is solidly behind him since 1999. In actual fact, it was the Ikorodu Division’s votes that made him the Governor of Lagos State.
“We felt that the GAC has endorsed Dr Obafemi Hamzat as our next Governor and in Ikorodu we have four incumbent representatives -Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, Hon. Babajimi Benson, and in Ikorodu Constituency 2, they have a system of electing their Assembly representative. In the constituency, each of the three political units is entitled to serve twice and Hon. Aro Moshood who is representing Ijede LCDA has only served once and after him it will go back to Igbogbo and Ijede.”
The party leader furthered: “So, this meeting has decided that we are going forward to endorse whosoever has served for one term to go back again for the second term and that is what we have done for Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye and automatically, the APC apex leadership has endorsed him to return. Though, there are skirmishes here and there but the bottom line is that the leadership in Ikorodu has endorsed him for Ikorodu Constituency I and Hon. Aro Moshood for Ikorodu Constituency II.
“We have endorsed Hon. Jimi Benson for the House of Representatives and Sen. Tokunbo Abiru for the Senate,” he added.
He, however, did not rule out primary elections as scheduled by the party.
“That does not mean that we are not going to the primaries but the leadership has endorsed these people and we are going to communicate our message across to our party members on what to do during the primary elections.”
Otunba Olasunkanmi Jimoh Tijani, the Divisional Chairman of the APC, also speaking confirmed the decision.
“The outcome is that we have all agreed to endorse all our candidates right from Senator Tokunbo Abiru, to Hon. Jimi Benson for House of Representatives to Assembly I, Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye and Assembly II, Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun.
“We have endorsed them as people of choice by the leadership of APC in Ikorodu Division.
“By the time we get to the field of the primary elections, a directive will be given to party members,” he said.
Hon. Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, Chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA who was also at the meeting pleaded with party members and other aspirants to accept the decision of the leaders.
“The party leadership has taken these decisions and it is important that we listen to the words of elders. My take at all times is what they can see sitting down, most of us cannot see standing up.”
He appealed to members of the party to accept the decisions of the elders and vote to return those that have been endorsed.
Another party leader, Alhaji Musiliu Adewale Sulaimon (Ola4), who moved the motion for the endorsement, also emphasising his support for the endorsement, explained his reasons for his decision.
“Yes, I moved the motion for the leaders to endorse consensus candidates because we can’t handle the stress that multiple aspirations will cause. We want to make sure that everything is in order and to achieve that, the leadership has endorsed some candidates starting with the President, President Bola Tinubu, our governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, who is unopposed but we still have to tell the world that we love him and our own Hon. Babajimi Benson who has done well for this division. Everywhere is Jimi Benson and every corner is Julius Berger. These are enough to endorse him because if we do otherwise, Ikorodu people will not like us.
“For our two Assembly men, we know that you are always underrated if you are a first timer but you always pick up in the second term and if possible get to be a principal officer and on this, we agreed that they should serve for the second time.
“In Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye and Constituency II is Hon. Aro Moshood. We endorsed them to serve for the second time so that we can properly access and judge them,” he added.
Alhaji Sulaimon, appealing to party members and other aspirants said that they should accept the decision of the party, adding that their own time would come when the party would give the necessary support.
“My message to other aspirants is that they should trust the process and accept the party’s decision. In Constituency II, the one that is aspiring against AMA is not in the race because he is aware that it is the turn of Ijede and he has to serve for two terms and in this case, AMA has performed and he is loved. After Ijede, the seat will go back to Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA after which it will be the turn of Imota.
“In Ikorodu Constituency I, we always agitate for what is good. You can see the numbers of people that aspired to be council chairmen and councillors but we have to prune them down and the same is applicable to this Lagos State House of Assembly contest.
“We would appeal to them that our decision should not make them angry and that it will be their own turn one day. Likewise the one agitating for the House of Reps. It is turn -by -turn and when their own time comes we will rally round to support them.
“Let us not allow Ikorodu to be in another pandemonium,” he appealed.
Mrs Olugbemiga Olabisi Benson, a former Permanent Secretary and former Chairman, TESCOM, also spoke in support of the endorsement emphasising that the decision was taken in the interest of the party.
She too appealed to the party members and other aspirants to accept the decision in good faith.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries of the apex leaders’ decision, Hon Gbolahan Ogunleye who was also in attendance at the meeting welcomed the development.
”I cannot say that I did not see the endorsement coming because the apex body has been observing and feeling the pulse of the people in terms of endorsement that is going round. Even our President also endorsed the incoming governor and that was a signal to the other hierarchy of the party.
”This will enable us to go to the primary elections as one party, have a united front and prevent chaotic primaries,” he said.
He appealed to his co – aspirants to accept the apex leaders’ decision, work with him to move APC and Ikorodu forward.
Present at the meeting presided over by the GAC chieftain, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, were Bashorun Babatunde Rotinwa, former Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, former Head of Service, Pastor Ajetunmobi, Secretary, APC apex body, Alhaji Animashaun, Chairman, APC Ikorodu Central, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, former Special Adviser on Education, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja , former Assembly member, Mr Segun Anifowoshe, former Sole Administrator, Ikorodu West LCDA, Alhaji Musliu Animashaun, APC chieftain, Dr Frederick Oladeinde, former Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Nurudeen Agbaje, Special Adviser on Rural Development, Dr. Saheed Ibikunle, Permanent Member, LSUBEB and Dr Lanre Dixon among many others.
