Encomium
IF the information at our disposal is anything to go by, Mr. Kunle Disu, a businessman and the ex-husband of Mrs. Derin Disu, the immediate past Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Central Business District, has bought the N5.5 million expression of interest form and the N5 million nomination form for the governorship ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.
The two new entrants will make it 11 people that have shown interest in the governorship race of Lagos State under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The others are Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Dr. Leke Pitan, Dr. Tola Kasali, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, Hon. Lanre Ope and Mr. Supo Sasore.
Among these 11 aspirants, the leading contenders are Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon.
The reasons for being the leading contenders are not far-fetched…
Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, a former permanent secretary and Accountant General in Lagos State, is sponsored and backed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national leader of APC and the most prominent politician in the whole of South West, particularly in Lagos State right now. He (Tinubu) can make a lot of things happen during the governorship primary of the party.
Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the incumbent Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State, is backed and sponsored by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the incumbent governor of the state who wields a lot of financial muscle.
Fashola’s financial muscle within the state coupled with Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, the father of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s influence within the party (APC), may upset the apple cart of Tinubu.
Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the incumbent Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly is also said to wield some financial muscle and influence within the party and among the 40 members of the Assembly, which could also cause some upset during the primary election.
Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, who is currently the Senate Minority Whip, is also an influential party man both financially and in terms of strong followership within the party in the state. He could also cause a little upset during the governorship primary of the party in the state.
Meanwhile, we gathered that the party governorship primary which was earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 15, 2014, has been shifted to Wednesday, December 3, 2014, probably to provide for horse trading that may lead to emergence of a consensus candidate.
-TOLANI ABATTI
