Fierce battles are expected in the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives primaries for Ikorodu Federal seat on Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2014, as gladiators set to confront each other.
The sole seat in the Federal House of Representatives which has been the preserve of Ikorodu Constituency I since 1999 when Alhaja Odujirn who was elected between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of Alliance for democracy (AD ) but later defected to PDP and later Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa who replaced her since then till date.
There has been intense campaign in different camps within the two major political parties in Ikorodu whereby charging political atmosphere.
Hon. Animashaun, Dixon and Shonubi battle for PDP House ticket
On Saturday, December 6, 2014, it is going to be a battle between Hon Ola Animashaun, a more experienced politician and former Member, Lagos State House of Assembly and two other aspirants who are also contesting for Ikorodu Federal Constituency seat in the lower house at the Federal Capital Territory, Dr (Mrs) Olarenwaju Dixon, a medical practitioner and Mr Adebiyi Tanimola Shonubi, a business man.
THE IMPACT gathered that the PDP politics in the state is already playing itself out in the contest for the Ikorodu Federal seat with the party structure doing everything to deny Hon. Animashaun the party’s ticket come Saturday primary election.
It was gathered the those that are in control of the party machineries prefer a particular candidate to the former honourable and Special Adviser to former Minister for Works, Sen. Seye Ogunlewe.
But it was learnt that Hon. Animashaun is not leaving any stone unturned in his battle to grab the ticket for the sole seat in the lower chamber of National Assembly.
In chat with a stalwart of the party (name witheld) he said, “what the party leadership should be doing now is to maintain the ongoing reconciliation within the party and not make hasty decision base on old feud as it is the case presently because we (PDP) cannot afford another polarized house before the 2015 general elections.”
He added that Hon. Animashaun who is having the majority support is the only candidate capable enough to compete with whomever the APC would be presenting as its candidate for the general elections come February 2015.
Meanwhile, the PDP Public Relations Officer, Mr Adilewa Femi while speaking with our reporter on phone denied any gang-up against a particular aspirant and assured that the party is one indivisible family. He added that the Federal House of Representatives primary would be a continuation of transparent exercise that started with the State Assembly primary last Saturday.
Jimi Benson, Tijani, Odugbesi and Olukoga battle for APC ticket
…Hon. Abike may be in the race too
For the All Progressive Congress (APC) Federal House of Representatives primary in Ikorodu, it is going to be battle of gladiators as the young Company Secretary/Legal Counsel, Lagos State Development & Property Corporation (LSDPC), Barrister Jimi Benson, former Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, Otunba Olasunkanmi Tijani, immediate past State Secretary, All Progressive Congress (APC), Primate Charles Odugbesi and Special Adviser on Education to Governor of Lagos State on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga and another young politician from Imota, Mr Lanre Sanusi on Sunday, December 7, 2015 at Fuwagbuyi Court, along Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikorodu.
Before now, the battle was largely a straight battle between Barrister Jimi Benson and Otunba Olasunkanmi Tijani, until the rumored participation of the three-term member Federal House of Representatves, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa who THE IMPACT gathered may have been drafted into the race for strategic reasons.
THE IMPACT was unable to verify her involvement in the primary election coming up on Sunday, but we gathered that the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora prefer being Secretary to the Lagos State Government in the next political dispensation.
Otunba Fatai Olukoga, we gathered is giving everything into the contest to achieve his long time dream of representing Ikorodu in the Federal House of Representatives, likewise the immediate past APC Secretary, Primate Charles Odugbesi. Both are said to be banking on their connections within the party structure and government,
While young Jimi Benson is focusing more on the delegates and party leaders to clinch the APC ticket, Otunba Tijani, THE IMPACT gathered is focusing and taking advantage of being a more experienced politician to get supports of the groups within the ruling party.
Come Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2014, it is going to be firece battles at De Kings hotel and Fuwagubyi Court venues of the two primaries for Federal House of Representatives ticket in Ikorodu.
