TheCable

There is confusion over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Eti-Osa constituency in the federal house of representatives. 

Oyekanmi Elegushi, brother to Saheed Elegushi, a monarch in Lagos, had won the primary organised by the party on May 27.

During the primary, Elegushi polled 25 votes to defeat Babajide Obanikoro, son to Musiliu Obanikoro, former minister of state for defence, who secured 23 votes.

Speaking to journalists after his victory, Elegushi had 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.

But there are speculations that Obanikoro’s son is the preferred candidate of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) — the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos.

Babajide Obanikoro currently represents the constituency in the house of representatives.

However, a statement credited to one Tobi Etti, who claimed to be the director of the media unit of the “Prince Oyekanmi Elegushi campaign organisation”, said the candidate had withdrawn from the contest and communicated his decision in a letter addressed to Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman.

“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 Etti as saying on Tuesday.

But reacting to the report on his alleged withdrawal from the contest, a Twitter account with the name ‘Oyekanmi Elegushi’ said the APC candidate has no spokesperson named Tobi Etti.

I don’t have any spokesman with the name TOBI ETTI

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I’m still in Consultation with the Party leadership and any decision I make will be made public by me and will be in the interest of the people of Eti-Osa Constituency and my party the All Progressives Congress.

— OYEKANMI ELEGUSHI (@Mr_Elegushi) June 15, 2022

There has been no official reaction from the APC on the development.

Meanwhile, Olubankole Wellington, Nigerian artist better known as Banky W, clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the same constituency.