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With the race to occupy the vacant seat of the Nigerian Senate for the Lagos East Senatorial District getting more intense, aspirants for the Senatorial bye-election from Ikorodu Division part of the Lagos East Senatorial District are insisting on getting the ticket against Epe and Shomolu area of Lagos state even though all are still waiting for the official pronouncement of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) on the date and guidelines for the bye-election.
It will be recalled that the demise of the former occupant of the seat in the Red Chamber, Sen. Adebayo Osinowo, left a vacuum which must be filled within 90 days.
Amongst those who have shown interest for Ikorodu particularly from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, three aspirants have stood out with varying degrees of political endorsements.
Asipa Kaoli Olusanya
Asipa Kaoli Olusanya is the current APC Lagos East Senatorial Vice Chairman, who served as commissioner of Agriculture and Cooperatives for eight years in the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu between 1999 and 2007. He is an educationist and the Founder of Kith and Kin International School located in Ikorodu.
Tokunbo Abiru
Born in 1964, Tokunbo Abiru’s intention to join the race has been met with mixed feelings. Why many see him as a fresh face in the contest compared to the old politicians trying to perpetuate themselves in political offices at the detriment of fresh bids, others see him as lacking the political experience to navigate the murky waters of politics. Though the inexperienced narrative has been countered by those pushing for him to occupy the seat, he is also believed to be very close to the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, reason why he was appointed commissioner for finance by former governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola in 2011.
Abiru who is currently the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Limited, Nigeria, attended the six-week Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and Lagos Business School (Senior Management Program).
He holds a B.Sc (Economics) from Lagos State University and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Honorary Senior Member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
If given the ticket, Abiru has the potential to bring his BoardRoom experience into the Legislative chamber.
Rotimi Ogunleye
Prince Rotimi Ogunleye is another bigwig whose hat is already in the ring for the Senatorial seat. Barrister Rotimi Ogunleye, a prince from the popular Ogunleye family of Ikorodu and cousin to the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and apex leader in APC, Ikorodu, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, was a Principal Counsel at Rotimi Ogunleye & Associates, and member of Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch. During the tenure of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, he served as Commissioner of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives before being deployed to Physical Planning and Urban Development.
