Following the recent withdrawal of one of the two Ikorodu born aspirants from the race to occupy the Lagos East Senatorial District seat at the upper chamber of the National Assembly in 2019, Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru, the only remaining aspirant from Ikorodu division has assured his supporters across the Lagos East Senatorial District that he is still very much in the race.
Abiru spoke against the backdrop of the withdrawal of Primate Charles Odugbesi, his kinsman and a former scribe of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Lagos State who recently withdrew from the race, to support a new entrant and major political bigwig within the Lagos State APC, Hon Bayo Osinowo. Oshinowo is a current state lawmaker, representing Kosofe at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Reacting to rumours that he has gone underground since the withdrawal of Primate Odugbesi and the entry of Hon Oshinowo, popularly called Pepperito by APC faithfuls in the state, Abiru reiterated his resolve to pursue his senatorial ambition to a logical conclusion, in the interest of the good people of Ikorodu Division who clamoured for him to join the contest.
‘I want to appreciate you all for your interest and concern in my political aspiration. But, I must clear the air that am still on my purported withdrawal from the race. I am still very much in the race and can never be cowed down or intimidated by either centrifugal or centripetal forces. I will not betray the good people of Ikorodu who unanimously asked me to go and represent their interest at the Senate in 2019. It is not over until it is over’, he stressed.
Responding to the decision of the party not to give him the ticket at the Primary in September, Abiru stated that, as a good sportsman, he will abide by the decision of the generality of the party delegates and work for the candidate that emerges on the long run.
‘To me, it is more honourable to pursue this to a logical conclusion. I am not in this for personal benefits. I am in it to protect the interest of Ikorodu Division that has been sidelined from the scheme of things within the political terrain of the state’, he said.
