Lagos 2015: ACN searches for Fashola’s successor

Posted by admin Action Congress of Nigeria, Headlines, Lagos, Party Politics, State News Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

In order to avoid the confusion that attended the search for successor to former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Lagos chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has commenced a search for who succeeds the incumbent governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

Political drama that attended the search for Tinubu’s successor nearly tore the then Action Congress (AC) apart as some aspirants opted out of the party to actualise their aspiration in other parties.

Prominent among them were Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who left for Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Mr. Hakeem Gbajabiamila ( Alliance for Democracy), Mrs. Oluremi Adiukwu-Bakare (PDP) and former Deputy Governor, Chief Femi Pedro who left for the Labour Party (LP) among others.

Against this background, Daily Sun can authoritatively report that the party’s caucus has commenced serious consultations and secret screening of likely successor for Fashola.
Although the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Joe Igbokwe confirmed that the search for Fashola’s successor was in progress, he declined to mention those candidates being put under surveillance by the party.

“Yes, the search for Fashola’s successor has commenced since after the Presidential election because we are always pro-active. We have planned four years ahead for our party because we always set the pace and blaze the trail. We lead why others follow. And I can assure you that we will not disappoint our people with another masterstroke we are going to deliver for 2015,” Igbokwe boasted in an interview with Daily Sun.

Daily Sun can authoritatively reveal that two candidates are before the party elders for consideration. They are a three term Senator and former Mushin Local Government Chairman, Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon and former Lagos state Director-General, Land Bureau and newly elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bareehu Olugbenga Ashafa. While Solomon represents the Lagos West Senatorial District, Ashafa represents the East Senatorial axis of the state.

However, a party leader who craved anonymity confided in Daily Sun that while experience is in favour of Solomon, power shift system is in favour of Ashafa, reminding that while Tinubu represented the west as governor, Fashola represents the central.
The political permutation, therefore, according to him is that “the Ibeju-Lekki axis, where Ashafa hails from has been crying of marginalisation,” meaning that, “Ashafa can be used for 2015 to pacify the people of the zone in 2015.”

Another source close to the party caucus, however, reminded of Solomon’s popularity as a former local government Chairman, one term member of the House of Representatives as well as a three term Senator representing the largest political space in the state, pointing out that “to defeat such a man at primaries would be very tough.”

A national officer of the party from Oyo state, who didn’t want his name in print told our correspondent that “withdrawing a brilliant Senator like Olorunnimbe Mamora for Ashafa has a political undertone, suspecting that “Ashafa is likely being groomed for Lagos 2015 project.”

At a press conference to announce his stepping aside for Ashafa, Mamora told the newsmen that “it is in compliance with the party’s directive,” saying “a discipline party man must always obey party instruction without asking questions.”
One could also recall the speech of the national Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande at the retreat organised for the newly elected House of Assembly members nationwide in Lagos where he harped too much on party supremacy.

“No one, however highly placed is above the party or the discipline and sanctions which the party might care to impose,” Akande emphasised adding “it is the political trend that political parties evolved into a channel of control.”

Since 24 hours is a long period in politics, anything can happen whereby somebody else may surface to dislodge these two foremost contenders who are eminently qualified or that one of these two Senators would clinch the ticket. Only time can tell.

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