[size=15pt]Lagos PDP Primaries and Caucus War [/size]

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LAST Saturday’s primaries to elect the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates that would fly the party flag in the 2015 Lagos State House of Assembly elections have boiled down to a struggle among various intra-party interests and caucuses.

Highlights of the contest show that Babajide Obanikoro, son of former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, won the slot for Eti-Osa Constituency I on behalf of his father’s camp.

In the same manner, Moye Ogunlewe, son of former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, won in Kosofe Constituency I.

Mrs. Mosun Sangodara, a female contestant from the camp of one of the leading governorship aspirants, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, beat all comers to clinch a ticket in Surulere Constituency II.

Each of these victories underscores the ongoing battle among the different caucuses within Lagos PDP.

However, the results of the primaries are indicative of the fact that the Network Group, rooting for Agbaje’s candidacy, is the dominant team in the game.

Agbaje’s caucus features a coalition of the Lagos PDP members wrapped around Chief Bode George and Senator Ogunlewe.

The group also includes loyalists of the former Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs. Kofo Akerele-Bucknor and former Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Export and CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Modupe Sasore.

The archrival to the Agbaje coalition is the Obanikoro camp, where the former Minister of Sate for Defence is in the race for the party’s governorship ticket.

Other caucuses that have emerged are those of Tokunboh Kamson, and Chief Adedeji Doherty.

Results emerging from Saturday’s primaries show that the Agbaje bloc is leading the pack, distantly trailed by Obanikoro.

The bulk of the electors came from 735 elected delegates. Others eligible to vote at the primaries are the local government party chairmen, secretaries and treasurers, and members of the state executives and state executives resident in the relevant local governments.

The 735 electors emerged, as delegates, from the party’s 245 ward chapters on November 24, after the initial congress two weeks earlier had become a subject of controversy and subsequently cancelled by the national executive of the party.

Although the Agbaje and Obanikoro caucuses currently have the upper hand in the battle to win tickets for the election into the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2015, the Kamson and Doherty groups have also recorded marginal successes.

The Lagos Assembly provides for 40 legislators, two each from the 20 local governments recognised by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

By the results that came out, the Agbaje camp is in the lead, chalking up a total of 28 candidates of the 38 declared so far.

The Obanikoro group has 6; followed by the Kamson camp with 4 while the Doherty group has 1 candidate.

The results are as follows in the local government areas: Agege—(Inconclusive); Ajeromi-Ifelodun—Kamson (2), Others (0); Alimosho Agbaje (1) Obanikoro (1); Amuwo-Odofin—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Apapa—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Badagry—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Epe—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Eti-Osa—Obanikoro (2), Others (0); Ibeju-Lekki—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Ifako-Ijaye—Agbaje (2), Others (0), Ikeja—Doherty (1), Obanikoro (1); Ikorodu—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Kosofe—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Lagos Island—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Lagos Mainland—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Mushin—Agbaje (1), Obanikoro (1); Ojo—Kamson (2), Others (0); Oshodi-Isolo—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Shomolu—Agbaje (2), Others (0); Surulere—Agbaje (1), Obanikoro (1).

Mr. Agbaje, indeed, proved that he is in firm control of his Apapa home, as his protégés clinched the two tickets in the Apapa local government.

A staunch Agbaje supporter, Mr. Kayode Ariwayo, won in Apapa Constituency I, while another ‘JK’ devotee, Babawale Ogunyinka, sealed the party ticket for Apapa Constituency II.

Obanikoro recorded mixed fortunes in the council primaries. Although failing to clinch the ticket of his home, Lagos Island Constituency I, he can celebrate the victory in Eti-Osa, where his son, Babajide Obanikoro, got elected as the candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency I.

The ticket for Eti-Osa Constituency II also went to the Obanikoro group.

Babajide’s victory would especially thrill the young man, who, in 2011, vied for the chairmanship of Eti-Osa local government and lost out via the court.

He had gone to the electoral tribunal to challenge the results that favoured the All Progressives Congress (APC) via the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Although he was declared the winner at the tribunal, he lost at the Court of Appeal, where the APC had also gone to challenge the verdict of the lower court.

Meanwhile, the Agbaje alliance won in Bode George’s home base —Lagos Island Constituency I, and Lagos Island Constituency 2 —where the former naval officer and PDP kingmaker completely trounced his archrival, Obanikoro.

Other governorship aspirants, however, recorded marginal feats in the contest.

The camp of the former Acting PDP National Vice Chairman, Doherty (an Obanikoro ally) shared the two tickets for Ikeja local government council with his friend Obanikoro.

Doherty and Obanikoro thus succeeded in beating Mrs. Roli George (the wife of Chief Bode George), by ensuring her candidates lost their deposits.

Also in the Ojo council axis, the two available slots went to the caucus of another gubernatorial aspirant, Tokunboh Kamson. He also monopolised the two tickets for Ajeromi/Ifelodun, where his wards won.

If this pattern remains constant, observers of the Lagos PDP primaries are of the bold opinion that Jimi Agbaje could be on his way to emerge as the party governorship candidate for the state’s 2015 governorship election.

Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/policy-a-politics/188841-lagos-pdp-primaries-and-caucus-war

Are you seeing what I am seeing


Are they saying my dad must have been an achieved politician before I can win the primaries?

ledafaze2:
[size=15pt]Lagos PDP Primaries and Caucus War [/size]

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However, the results of the primaries are indicative of the fact that the Network Group, rooting for Agbaje’s candidacy, is the dominant team in the game.

Agbaje’s caucus features a coalition of the Lagos PDP members wrapped around Chief Bode George and Senator Ogunlewe.

The group also includes loyalists of the former Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs. Kofo Akerele-Bucknor and former Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Export and CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Modupe Sasore.

Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/policy-a-politics/188841-lagos-pdp-primaries-and-caucus-war

Jimi Disu, I have a solution to your riddle you aired this morning...

The pound taker is Olabode George while the seat taker is Jimi Agbaje... Kai! Tinubu will run away from Lagos...

The only solution I believe can and will work is flying Olasupo Sasore as the Gubernatorial candidate for Lagos instead of Akinwunmi Ambode...

I hate to vote for PDP but if I should see Akinwunmi Ambode winning, PDP will be taking my vote.

How i wish all these politicians are truly fighting for the masses
PDP or APC are both thieves seeking revenge at both levels.