Banire: We’ll Resist Attempts to Smuggle Aspirant into Race for Lagos West Senate
Muiz Banire
A former Chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Dr. MuizBanire, yesterday warned the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, to desist from any alleged attempt to smuggle in an aspirant into the race for Lagos West senatorial district election, saying it’s illegal and unacceptable.
Reacting to an exclusive report by THISDAY yesterday that there were plans by the APC leadership in Lagos to smuggle in an aspirant for the Lagos West senate election after deadline, Banire, who confirmed the development, said he and other like-minds in the state, would resist any such thing in the ruling APC in Lagos.
Banire, who admitted to no longer being a member of the APC, said as a prominent Lagosian with stake in the politics of the state, more so as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he would be interest in whatever goes on in any association in the state, as much as Nigeria in general.
“This is fraud and will not be accepted. I might have left their party, but that is my senatorial district and I’m interested in what goes on there. Yes, we are aware only three people took the forms and one did not return hers, because she’d rather keep her current job.
“So, there were two left at the close of submission and screening. Therefore, any attempt to smuggle in an invincible aspirant, not screened and whose forms were not submitted, will be resisted vehemently and we’d go all out to enforce what’s right.
“We have our eyes and ears in the party and no impunity would be encouraged under whatever guise – never again. This is not essentially a Lagos APC affair; it’s a national office and no one will be allowed to micro-manage the system or manipulate others out,” he said.
THISDAY had exclusively reported yesterday that there were plans by the Lagos State APC, to smuggle an aspirant into the race for Lagos West senatorial seat, after the deadline for the submission of forms and screening of aspirants.
A party source, who frowned at the development, told THISDAY that, although he did not know the nature of politics that was going on in Lagos, some of the national executives of the party were also disappointed at the desperation by the party leadership in the state to smuggle a yet-to-be identified aspirant into the race for Lagos West Senatorial seat after deadline had lapsed.
According to the source, three people bought the form for Lagos West senatorial district, but two returned their forms and were screened by the party, but the third person refused to turn in her form.
The three candidates are the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Akeem Opeifa.
While Obanikoro and Opeifa returned their form, THISDAY reported that, Orelope-Adefulire did not, and waited till the deadline for submission closed and screening done for the two others.
The source noted that the APC in Lagos, had since been trying desperately to turn in the third person’s forms, albeit for another person entirely, using the offices of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore and the National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungun, to get the plan executed.
