Intrigue over APC candidate for Lagos East by-election

There is intrigue over who becomes the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the October 31 by-election for Lagos East senatorial district, Daily Trust reports.

An uneasy calm has pervaded the ruling party over the purported adoption of Mr. Tokunbo Abiru as a consensus candidate.

• Lagos East Senatorial bye-election: APC settles for ex-Polaris Bank boss, Abiru
• Lagos East: No candidate yet for bye-election – APC

An assistant spokesman of the APC, Abiodun Salami, had granted an interview to the effect that the party had adopted Abiru, who resigned last week as the managing director of Polaris Bank, as the consensus candidate of the party.

Prior to his resignation, there were widespread reports about his adoption by the Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision making organ in Lagos APC.

But on Saturday, the spokesman of the party, Hon. Seye Oladejo issued a statement insisting the party was yet to produce a candidate for the by-election including that of Kosofe 2 constituency which had been fixed for October 31.

Several candidates had been tipped to replace the late Senator Bayo Osinowo who died on June 15.

Among them are former Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Senator Gbenga Ashafa who vacated the seat in 2019 after serving for eight years, among other party chieftains in Lagos East.

But Daily Trust reports that as of the time of filing this report, only Abiru had purchased the N7 million forms for expression of interest and nomination.

This has further given credence to the reported adoption of Abiru as the party’s candidate.

A party leader in Lagos East, who is also a member of the GAC, confirmed to Daily Trust yesterday that Abiru had been adopted as the consensus candidate which the constitution of the party allowed.

Elsewhere, in the opposition PDP, four candidates scaled through at the screening committee ahead of the conduct of the primary which has been fixed tentatively for September 5.