Kosofe Constituency 2 Bye Election: Aspirants Settle For Primaries

By Oluwafemi Solomon

Aspirants jostling to fill the vacant seat at the Lagos State House of Assembly under Kosofe constituency 2, following the death of the honourable Tunde Buraimoh, may have settled to slug it out through primary election.

This new dimension is coming as all efforts by leaders and elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to convince the aspirants to step down for each other proved abortive.

The leadership of the party had summoned the leading aspirants to a meeting on Saturday and asked them to stepdown for each other so as to have a consensus candidate who would face any candidate push forward by the major opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in October 31st, but the request met a brick wall.

The aspirants who reeled out their manifestoes on why they should be single handedly picked by the leaders of the party, argued that having laboured so hard for the growth and development of the party in one way or the other, it would be a disservice to give up at this critical point by stepping down for a consensus candidate.

Indication has however emerged that the party may have ended up settling for the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party and a leading aspirant, Hon. Abiodun Musiliu Salami, as its candidate considering his long years of service to the party in the constituency and the state at large.

Accoring to one of the leaders who spoke on condition of anonimity
” The outcome of the meeting we had at the leadership level before we summon the aspirants was that the Assistant Publicity Secretary of our party at the State level, Abiodun Salami, should fly the party’s flag having considered his sterling records and excellent performance at that level”.

” All the Council Chairmen, Omooba Sosanya, Commissioner Mrs Yetunde Arobieke, State Assembly Member, Hon Ganiyu Okanlawon (kosofe Const1) , Alhaja Kafilat Ogbara, Pa Steven Oyedele, and former Hon Commissioner Bosun Jeje are strongly for Salami candidacy”, said the Leader.

” The leaders met with the aspirants and none was willing to step down for each other making it imminent that the aspirants will have to face the party primaries as spelt out in the party constitution”.

” The leaders and the party are still hopeful that some aspirants will step down before the primaries as consultation continues”, said the Leader.

It may interest you to know, that about 10 aspirants under the ruling APC are presently gunning for the party’s ticket to contest the Kosofe Constituency 2 bye election scheduled to take place on the 31st of October to replace the late Hon. Tunde Braimoh who died few months ago.

Among the leading aspirants are; Hon Abiodun Musiliu Salami, Femi Saheed , Hon Abiodun Akhigbe and Yakub balogun.