The All Progressives Congress in Lagos state has given the party’s House of Representatives ticket to Babajide Obanikoro, son of former Lagos West Senator, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Obanikoro’s son, Rep. Babajide Obanikoro (APC -Etiosa) had lost the APC ticket for a return to the House of Representatives to Oyekanmi Elegushi.
However, in a twist on Tuesday, the winner of the primary, Oyekanmi Elegushi, announced his withdrawal ahead of the 2023 parliamentary election, citing deference to APC’s preference for Obanikoro.
The director of the media unit of the Elegushi Campaign organisation, Tobi Etti, said the candidate conveyed his withdrawal from the contest in a letter addressed to Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman.
Etti said though Elegushi won the party’s primary election for the federal constituency, he relinquished the ticket in obedience to the party and its leadership.
“While pledging his loyalty to the party, he (Elegushi) appealed to his supporters to respect the decision of the party and ensure all the candidates of the party are returned elected in the 2023 elections,” NAN quoted him as saying.
Recall that Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro had lost the APC Lagos West Senatorial primaries ticket to Mrs Idiat Adebule, a former deputy governor of Lagos State.
During the party’s House of Representatives primary election in May, Elegushi polled 25 votes to defeat Obanikoro’s son who secured 23 votes.
While speaking to journalists after his victory, Elegushi described the exercise as peaceful and transparent.
“I will say we are all one, Eti-Osa 1, and I say thank you to the delegates. They played their parts and they voted their conscience,” NAN quoted him as saying at the time.
Olubankole Wellington, a Nigerian artist popularly known as Banky W, clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the same constituency.
