Encomium
AS at Friday, November 7, 2014, when sales and submission of nomination forms for House of Assembly in Lagos All Progressives Congress’ closed, 297 people have bought and submitted their forms.
The fee for the form is N50,000 for expression of interest and N500,000 for nomination form. For women and physically challenged people the forms are free of charge.
All the 297 House of Assembly aspirants will be screened on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at the party’s secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, Lagos.
ENCOMIUM Weekly gathered that the screening committee is made up of non-party members that were specifically recruited for the job by the party. There will be three screening committees based on the three senatorial districts in Lagos.
Those who are able to scale through the screening will be the ones that will face primary elections on Saturday, November 15, 2014.
Among the 297 aspirants are 36 incumbent members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who are coming back for second or more terms.
Also among the aspirants are popular actor Desmond Elliot and popular gospel singer, Kenny Saint Best (KSB). There are also immediate past local government council chairmen who are eyeing the House of Assembly seat. They include Hon. Oladele Adekanye, the immediate past chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government Council; Hon. Husitode Mose Dosu, the former helmsman at Badagry Local Government Council; Hon. Rasheed Mafe, the ex-chairman of Mosan-Okunola LCDA and Hon. Adeyemi Olabinjo, the ex-chairman of Ojokoro LCDA.
ENCOMIUM Weekly gathered that the party leaders have decided that honourable members of Lagos House of Assembly who have just completed their first term should be given automatic ticket. But such a member must have the approval of all the party leaders in their constituencies.
The leadership of the party, we also gathered said that 25 per cent of other members of the assembly who have served two or more terms will also be allowed to return. This 25 per cent, according to our source will be determined by the leadership of the party.
If the leadership of the party actually follows this guideline, it means at least 15 of the 17 first time members of the assembly will likely return bearing two or more that may be dropped by leaders in their respective constituencies.
This also means only six of the 23 old members will return. At the end of the day, the number of vacant seat in the assembly is, give or take 19 or 20.
The four members that have made up their mind not to come back to the hallowed chamber include Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the three times Speaker of the Assembly who is vying for the governorship of the state.
Hon. Lola Fibisola Akande, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Assembly, who served for two terms. She is said to be eyeing the House of Representatives seat for Ikeja Federal Constituency which is presently occupied by Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, who is interested in second term.
Hon. Faleke, we gathered may likely get his seat back and Hon. Akande may be compensated with an appointment.
Hon. Bolaji Yusuf Ayinka, a.k.a BYA, who is serving his third term in the assembly representing Mushin Constituency II. We gathered that he is eyeing House of Representatives for Mushin Federal Constituency. He wants to displace Hon. Ganiyu Oladunjoye Hamzat, the son of Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, who has been there since 2003.
Hon. Moshood Oshun, who is doing his second term in the assembly representing Lagos Mainland Constituency II. He is also eyeing House of Representatives seat of Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency. He has the incumbent, Hon. Alao Monsuru Owolabi, who is serving his fourth term in the National Assembly and Hon. Olajide Jimoh, the immediate past chairman of Yaba LCDA, who is also eyeing the seat to contend with.
-TOLANI ABATTI
