By Dike Onwuamaeze
The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Lagos East senatorial by-election, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, has described his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate as a product of intense consultations with the state APC leaders, interested contestants and other stakeholders.
Abiru, who addressed journalists in his country home in Ikorodu, Lagos, at the weekend, said he would champion the course of infrastructural development of the Lagos East and the sustenance of the special status of Lagos State as the former capital of Nigeria, which requires more resources from the federal government.
According to him, “My emergence as the party’s sole candidacy was the outcome of the strong consultation I made towards my nomination. I met one on one with the intending aspirants, and I got their understanding and encouragement. I also met with them as a group to solicit for their understanding.”
He added that he also consulted the members of the state Governor’s Advisory Council and the APC state executive council.
Abiru, who resigned recently as the Managing Director of Polaris Bank Limited, described himself as “a very proud indigene of Ikorodu. I have made the division (Ikorodu) very proud by my own personal achievements in the private sector. I am a deep member of this community and a well-integrated personality in this place. I am a member of the Oriowo Club since 2006, which is the foremost in the community. Also, my late father established the Exclusives in 1965.”
The former banker explained that his reasons for running for the senatorial seat included his desire to put the competences and discipline he gained from the private sector at the disposal of the country’s public sector and to work with relevant authorities to ensure that ongoing capital projects in his senatorial district like the Epe-Ijebu Ode expressway, Lekki to Epe road, among other are completed.
“These are ongoing projects, and the best thing is to keep working with the executive arm to ensure that they are completed in order to make life easier for the populace. I will be part of policies and ideas that will continue to improve the district. That is the role I will play as a senator,” he said.
He pledged to respect all those who had been on the democratic journey right from 1999 till date, and join hands with them to continue to improve what is already on ground.
Abiru, who is also the Lagos State former Commissioner for Finance between 2011 and 2013, observed that the idea of special status for the state is a matter of necessity, which would enable it to cope with the high volume of migrants trooping into the state from all over the country and beyond. “We will continue to champion the issue of the state special status. Lagos State alone cannot sustain the investments that are required to sustain the state infrastructural needs. It needs the federal government’s support,” he said.
