Lagos lawmaker who defeated two-term Senator applauds direct primary

A four-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bayo Osinowo, who defeated a two-term Senator, Gbenga Ashafa in the Lagos East Senatorial Primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the direct primary that earned him victory as “free and fair”.

Osinowo was declared winner of the primary after he was initially speculated to have been disqualified by the APC’s Electoral Committee for National and State Assembly Primaries for Lagos State.

However, after the direct primary that was conducted on Friday, the Lucky Imasuen-led electoral committee announced Osinowo popularly known as “Peperinto” as the winner having polled 247, 743 votes as against Ashafa’s 20,385.

His victory, thus made Ashafa the only Senator among the three currently representing Lagos who will not be the party’s candidate in the general election. The others, Oluremi Tinubu from Lagos Central and Olamilekan Adeola from Lagos West were returned by affirmation.

In a statement made available to journalists by Osinowo’s media office, the APC Senatorial candidate was quoted as praising the party’s “leadership at all levels, particularly the Lagos State chapter, for providing a level playing ground for aspirants to contest and for party members to freely chose those they want to fly the party flag in the 2019 election through direct primaries”.

“It was a good contest and I thank my brother, Senator Gbenga Ashafa for providing such a good competition. For me, it’s a case of No Victor, No Vanquished.

“I also want to express my appreciation to our party members from the Lagos East Senatorial District who voted overwhelmingly for me to fly the party’s ticket. I’m assuring you all that I’ll not disappoint all of you: our party members in particular and the people in general for reposing this huge confidence in me,” the statement read.

The statement added that Osinowo also applauded his rival, Senator Ashafa for “giving a good contest”.