Asipa Kaoli Did Not Betray Ikorodu On Senatorial Primary – Hon. Bayo Osinowo Media Team

Wale JAGUN

The Media Team of Hon. Bayo Osinowo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Lagos East Senatorial District in the coming election, has denied the accusations that the State Vice Chairman of the party, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, worked against the interest of Ikorodu by supporting the emergence of Hon.  Osinowo as the candidate of the party.

Following the statement allegedly made by the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that the former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in the State “led leaders from Ikorodu to my house saying that they have resolved to send Bayo Osinowo to the Senate for the East Senatorial District and that was it.”

Condemnation has since trailed this allegations on social media as a section of Ikorodu accused Asipa Kaoli of facilitating the emergence of Osinowo against the aspirations of some Ikorodu indigenes who aspired for the position on the platform of APC.

 In a statement released on Monday, February 18,2019, Osinowo urged the good people of Lagos East to ignore what he called “a fresh attempt to divide us.”

 “Those peddling this fake and discordant news are falsely hinging their claims on a statement allegedly made by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of our party, while explaining how some APC candidates emerged.

 “While it is very correct that Asiwaju said Asipa Kaoli led some party leaders to him to inform him of their preference for Hon. Bayo Osinowo (Pepper) to become the next Senator of Lagos East senatorial district; they were obviously not exclusively from Ikorodu but from the generality of Lagos East”.

The statement stated that the delegation that visited Asiwaju Tinubu was not Ikorodu delegation and that Asipa Kaoli did not lead them as alleged.

“A look at the leaders who visited Asiwaju on this mission will explain the truth as it is – Asipa Kaoli was not the leader of the delegation, nor were they all from Ikorodu as those spinning and twisting Asiwaju’s statement want the people of Ikorodu to erroneously believe.”

The release described as mischievous the allegations that Asipa  Kaoli was the brain behind the Osinowo’s emergence as the Senatorial candidate for APC.

 “It is mischievous for anybody to refer to the delegation as being from Ikorodu.

“While it is true that Asiwaju mentioned Asipa Kaoli Olusanya’s name, he obviously did it in recognition of his position as the Vice Chairman and leader of the party in the district; not as the leader of that high power delegation.

“Secondly, the team that visited Asiwaju was neither from nor for Ikorodu. The delegation was from, and for the entire district, represented by members of its Apex leadership.

“It is instructive to say here that APC leaders from Ibeju Lekki, where distinguished Senator Gbenga Ashafa hails from, were on the delegation.

“Thus, the move was not in any way, a betrayal of Ikorodu by Asipa Kaoli Olusanya and others from the division. Rather, it was in the discharge of their duty as party leaders.

 “One may also want to add that the visit, as can be inferred from Asiwaju’s statement, was made after all the leaders had pushed and fought for interests and aspirants from their various constituencies.

“But when a majority opinion emerged and surpassed all others, the leaders, as true democrats that they are, submitted to the interest of the party and supported Bayo Osinowo’s ambition.

“It is noteworthy to say here that Ikorodu had benefited from similar gestures by other leaders in the district when they unanimously endorsed Asipa Kaoli as the state Vice Chairman from the district, among many other aspirants across the district. In politics, for any division to thrive in any political permutation or calculation, the collaboration and cooperation of other divisions are required.

“It is,  therefore, important for us as a people to be wary of those seeking to divide us by pitching one division against its revered sons and daughters, as well as fanning the embers of hate among the constituencies in Lagos East.

“In essence, it behoves of all forward looking Ikorodu indigenes and residents, and in fact, all the great people of Lagos East Senatorial District, to push the candidacy of Osinowo (Pepper) to fruition by recording unprecedented massive votes for him and thus, have a moral and logical claim to other prominent positions that will be up for sharing in the aftermath of these elections. Like we all know, for any division to excel politically, it has to give and take.

“Without doubt, it is in the interest of everybody for us to team up with broad minded, analytical and empirical leaders, rather than succumbing to the parochial tenets of individualism and political mercantilism.

“As we remain unshaken in our resolve to vote for APC all the way in this election, let us once again regard the insinuations going around as clear attempts to break our ranks.

“We should resist such and continue to rally round Asipa Kaoli Olusanya and others as reliable leaders and ambassadors of Ikorodu division. What is more? Let us go all out on Saturday to vote for President Muhammad Buhari as President, Hon. Bayo Osinowo – Pepper, as Senator and of course all our credible and capable candidates for the  House of Representatives across the district.”