Akin Osuntokun, director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, says he has “abandoned” his ambition to contest for senate in the 2023 elections.

He spoke on Wednesday in an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

Osuntokun, who was announced as the LP campaign DG on Tuesday, is also listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for Ekiti central senatorial district.

Speaking on the development, the former managing director of NAN, said his position as the LP campaign DG is a “higher calling” compared to running for senate.

When asked if he had dropped his senatorial ambition, he said: “I have abandoned it.”

“The campaign office has issued a press release in that respect. What law have I breached in accepting the appointment? What law has the presidential candidate who appointed me beached in appointing me? I can’t help anybody who wants to pursue notoriety as a way of life,” he added.

“The man who is doing this is supposedly the national publicity secretary of the Labour Party. Ask him: why would a national publicity secretary of a party do that to his own party?

"So, it’s a redundant question at any rate. It’s of no consequence at all, whether legally, constitutionally — very frivolous. There is no moral burden at all.

“It’s a higher order of priority. Joining the Obi campaign is a higher national priority than any other aspiration. As a citizen of this country, who has a realistic appreciation of what we need to move Nigeria forward, you can’t compare an aspiration to be in the senate to the position that I have occupied.

“All these kinds of platitudes are unnecessary. In Nigeria today, there is no way I can define my political and moral priorities better than the path I have followed.

I have no moral burden. I am stepping to a higher sacrificial position. I don’t need to publicly declare it. [Ekiti ZLP senatorial candidacy] is a redundant position. I have the perfect freedom to decide what to do at any minute, so long as I have not breached any legal position. The step I am taking is of greater moral consequence for Nigeria.”

Roboto11:
Going where the money is.

Why spend your money on a campaign when you can accrue from another?

Nwaetche:
You are a Yoruba and you do not know Bashorun Osuntokun pedigree. He is a Political strategist, an erudite scholar and a son of a former Minister.

He was a DG of a campaign that actually won a presidential election and a former political adviser to a President in the likes of Governor Chibuike Amaechi.


He is by far the most qualified DG in this election cycle.

professor

Moh247:
Easy cashout

Roboto11:
Going where the money is.

Why spend your money on a campaign when you can accrue from another?

Afamed:


DG without any electoral value una like to dey deceive una sef too much

FreeStuffsNG:
His name will be on the ballot paper same day he will be contesting against labour party in same election for senate. smh.

This is a mockery of our democratic exercise and INEC should not feature his name at all on the ballot.

This man has been out of public view for years and only a mediocre mushroom party will go for such political featherweight for such role.

Even lp itself is non existent in lp.

blamingthedevil:
Higher calling of egunje ... anywhere belle face