Lagos Assembly member, Osinowo, declares interest to replace Ashafa in Senate

The battle for the seat of the Lagos East Senatorial District in the National Assembly yesterday rose a notch higher with the official entering of the member representing Kosofe Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo, popularly called Peperito into the race, when he declared his interest in the race in an elaborate ceremony at the CMD Event Center, Shangisha.
Osinowo who is regarded as a power brocker in the Assembly and also in the entire Lagos East Senatorial District and the eye of the leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Assembly, is actually the defacto king in the House of Assembly even though he only hold the position as chairman House Committee on Lands.

His declaration for the seat which was seen more as an endorsement party, as all five members of the House of Representatives in Lagos East District, all local government and local council development area chairmen and their deputies in the district and all relevant political and traditional stakeholders in the district all openly endorsed his ambition, has further compounded the woes of the incumbent senator representing the district Senator Bareeu Gbenga Ashafa, who is also in the race for his third term.

Two other prominent political leaders in the district, Chief Lanre Rasaq and former Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Chief Segun Abiru had earlier declared their intention to also seek the position. At the event for his declaration, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly also joined others in adopting Osinowo as thzzanointed candidate” for the Senatorial district.
Oshinowo, in his address at the carnival like event, expressed confidence in receiving the ticket after the party’s primary, saying he had received the backing of the leadership of the party to seek for the position.

He said, “Permit me to say it with every sense of humility that with my sixteen years in the Lagos State House of Assembly, I have acquired enough legislative experience to propel me for greater achievement in the Red Chamber (Senate).

I have also been actively involved in the political activities of Lagos East Senatorial District for over two decades, and I know where the shoe pinches,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Chairman of APC in the District, Ashipa Kaoli Okusanya urged all the aspirants to cooperate with party leaders to ensure a successful conduct of the primaries.
We want to appeal to all aspirants to eschew bitterness during and after the primary so that we will all support whoever emerges as a winner. We should go to the poll proper as one united family and win the 2019 elections for our party, not only in Lagos, but throughout the country.”

Similarly, another leader of the party in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and two-time Commissioner under the administration of Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, Dr.Tola Kasali said the party will ensure that the primary will be conducted in a very transparent manner that no candidate will cry foul.

APC is a party entrenched in undiluted democratic norm. We don’t have any preferred candidate every aspirants will be treated equally,” he said.