Encomium
IT is not yet uhuru for Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, who took his party, APC and INEC to court over the substitution of his name with that of the first runner-up in the party primary.
The Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Mohammed has fixed judgement for Friday, March 6, 2015, to determine whether APC and INEC, were right to have substituted Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni’s name with that of Hon. Hakeem Agboola-Masha whom he (Eshinlokun-Sanni) defeated in the party primary by 186 votes to 91 votes.
ENCOMIUM Weekly has it on good authority that the National Secretariat of APC had already written INEC to substitute Hon. Hakeem Agboola-Masha, with that of Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, the original winner of the party ticket. But INEC insisted it cannot do that without the express order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Thus, the Friday, March 6, 2015, pronouncement of the court will determine a lot of things. If the court judgement goes in favour of Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, there will certainly be sadness in the Lagos House of Assembly where the 24 returning members are already feeling threatened by Hon. Eshinlokun-Sanni’s return to the House of Assembly.
The belief within the House of Assembly complex is that if he (Eshinlokun-Sanni) wins his seat (Lagos Island Constituency I), he is likely going to be the next Speaker. Many (including members of the Assembly) believe he is being sponsored by the leadership of the party in the state to be the next Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly.
It will also mean one of their own Hon. Hakeem Agboola-Masha, will not be returning for second term. He will be the third among first termers that will not return for second term.
If, on the other hand, the court pronouncement does not favour Hon. Eshinlokun-Sanni, certainly there will be elation in the House of Assembly as members and non-members alike would be rest assured that the next Speaker will emerge amongst the old members they have been accustomed to.
So, it is with bated breath that most members and non-members of the Assembly and supporters of Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni and that of Hon. Hakeem Agboola-Masha wait for the court judgement on Friday, March 6, 2015.
– TOLANI ABATTI
