It is few hours to the much anticipated Lagos East Senatorial Bye-election to elect the new Senator to represent the district at the Senate.
The election is coming over 3 months after the sudden demise of Senator Bayo Oshinowo who represented the Lagos East Senatorial District at the Senate. Residents of the area now have another opportunity to choose another representative for the vacant Senatorial Seat.
The interesting thing about tomorrow’s election is the fact that voters will be picking either of the two Ikorodu sons- BabatundeOlalere Gbadamosi, an astute businessman and Tokunbo Mukahil Abiru, an accomplished banker and former Polaris Bank MD. The two Ikorodu sons are the main contenders who will be representing the opposition PDP and the ruling APC in the forthcoming Senatorial bye-election in State.
Whichever way the result of tomorrow’s election goes, one thing is certain, an Ikorodu son will represent the district in the 9th Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Recall that the Ikorodu Division has lamented and protested the marginalisation of the division in the political scheme of things in the State, culminating into the ‘Ikorodu 4 Governor’ agitations of 2007 and 2015. Though these agitations failed to realise its objectives, it succeeded in creating awareness among residents and stakeholders of the division on the need to get their fair share of political offices in the State.
The agitation was revived again in 2019 when the incumbent Chairman of Ikorodu Oga Development Association (IKODASS) Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru led the agitation for the zoning of the Senatorial ticket to Ikorodu on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While Abiru lost the ticket to the late Senator Bayo Oshinowo, his ambition further strengthened the resolve of the division for political reckoning under the ruling APC in the State.
It is therefore not too surprising when two Ikorodu sons eventually emerged as candidates of the two main political parties in the State, ahead of tomorrow’s bye-election.
Interestingly, both Abiru and Gbadamosi will either be repeating or re-writing history through tomorrow’s election. This is because, Abiru’s late father, Justice Muba Abiru once contested against his kinsman and grand-father of Babatunde Gbadamosi, the late SOG Gbadamosi in similar senatorial election of 1979, where the late Justice Abiru defeated late SOG Gbadamosi and represented the district between 1979-1983.
Ikorodu Oga Radio had earlier reported that, Ikorodu will be the hottest battle ground for the two candidates, not only for the fact that the two contenders are Ikorodu sons. This is so because, Ikorodu local government boasts of 19 out of the 30 wards of Lagos East district where tomorrow’s election will be taking place.
While Abiru has been aggressive in his public campaigns, Gbadamosi on the other hand has been engaging in what his supporters tagged strategic one-on-one and house-to-house campaigns.
While many factors will determine the eventual winner of the election, one thing that is certain is that Ikorodu division will eventually win!
