The immediate Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank Limited, Mr Tokunbo Abiru and Obafemi Saheed have emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidates for Lagos East Senatorial District and Kosofe 2 House of Assembly October by-elections in the state.
The two seats became vacant following the death of Senator Bayo Oshinowo and Tunde Buraimoh of Covid-19 complications in June and July respectively.
The duo emerged as the party’s candidates after all registered party members in Lagos East and Kosofe local government ratified their candidacy through a direct primary election held on Thursday. The two would stand as the party’s candidates in by-elections in Lagos East Senatorial District and Kosofe 2 scheduled for October 31.
At the by-election supervised by Ibrahim Masari, the Chief Returning Officer, Abiru recorded a total vote of 111,551 votes only from the returned votes from the five local governments— Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Kosofe and Somolu— that make up the senatorial district covering 71 wards. Obafemi Saheed scored a total of 34,012 votes only from the six wards that make up Kosofe 2 constituency.
About six aspirants stepped down for Abiru to emerge as the party’s candidate. These include Vice Chairman, Lagos APC, Chief Kaoli Olusanya; a former Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Segun Ogunlewe, and a former Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye. Others include a former General Manager/Permanent Secretary, Lagos Television, Mr Lekan Ogunbanwo; a former member of the State House of Assembly, Olanrewaju Odesanya, and Chairman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association, Chief Olusegun Abiru.
Earlier before the election, Abiru had been cleared to contest the primary by the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, the highest making organ of the party in the state.
The GAC members include APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Lagos APC, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun; his Deputy, Chief Sunny Ajose, all previous governors of the state and all serving vice-chairmen of the party.
