Abiru, Obafemi emerge as Lagos East APC candidates for by-elections

PDP vows to win

A former Managing Director of Polaris Bank Limited, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the October 31, 2020 by-election in Lagos East Senatorial District.  

Abiru, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Finance, won in the 72 wards across the five local councils in Lagos East zone with 111,551 votes during the APC primary elections yesterday.He was elected unopposed as a sole aspirant through affirmation by 111,551 party members who were delegates during the exercise.

The Returning Officer and Chairman of the APC Primary Election for Lagos State by-elections, Ibrahim Masari, said Abiru won through affirmation as the sole aspirant for the party’s primary through direct primary system.

The party also declared Saheed Obafemi as its candidate for the forthcoming Kosofe Constituency II Constituency by-election into Lagos State House of Assembly.

Masari, while announcing Obafemi’s candidacy after the primaries at Kosofe Local Council Secretariat, said Obafemi, being the only APC aspirant, polled 34,012 votes from six wards to emerge as the party’s candidate. Abiru, in his response, promised not to disappoint the electorate if eventually elected on October 31, 2020.

MEANWHILE, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, said the Lagos East by-elections would be the beginning of the end of the dominance of the APC in the state.

George, who spoke yesterday in Lagos during a meeting with PDP aspirants for both elections and the state Secretary of the party, Chief Muiz Dosunmu, said: “APC has failed woefully in all parameters. This is the time they should be gradually eased out of our lives. We declare ‘o to ge’ on the APC.”

He urged the aspirants to sustain the path of peace and conduct themselves with decorum ahead of the primary slated to hold tomorrow.

He also flayed the ruling party for imposing candidates on the people, saying: “Lagos APC primaries held yesterday was mere imposition.”

But the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said: “With the emergence of our candidates, all is now set for our party to contest and retain the respective legislative seats.”

It would be recalled that the Lagos East Senatorial District and Kosofe II State Constituency seats became vacant following the death of Senator Bayo Oshinowo and Mr. Tunde Buraimoh, who died of COVID-19 complications in June and July respectively.