Musiliu Obanikoro, has indicated his interest to seek the 2019 senatorial nomination in Lagos West senatorial district,

Obanikoro

Two weeks after he formally defected to the All Progressives
Congress (APC), former Minister of State for Defence, Senator
Musiliu Obanikoro, has indicated his interest to seek the 2019
senatorial nomination in Lagos West senatorial district,
THISDAY has learnt.
By implication, it was gathered, Obanikoro would challenge
Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola and former
Commissioner for Tourism & Intergovernmental Relations in
Lagos State, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi in bid to clinch the
nomination for the senatorial district.
While Aregbesola had in May said he could contest election in
any state of the South-west geo-political zone, Afikuyomi has
engaged political leaders subtly in the senatorial district with a
plan to return to the Senate.
At his defection penultimate Saturday, Obanikoro had
specifically said he was on a mission to the APC  because the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could no longer offer him a
platform to accomplish his mission.
But at the weekend, different APC chieftains revealed thier
plans to seek nomination in Lagos West, a senatorial district
where Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, a two-term
member of Lagos State House of Assembly and a one-term
member of House of Representatives is currently representing.
A chieftain disclosed that Obanikoro had made up his mind
not to dabble into the governorship race due to what he
ascribed to his resolve to team up with Tinubu and Ambode
to strengthen the APC, not only in Lagos State and South-
west, but also in the federation.
He revealed that Obanikoro would come out from Oriade
Local Council Development Area (LCDA), though he had
represented Lagos Central in the Senate (2003-2007) and had
been the Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government (1998
– 2002).
The APC chieftain justified Obanikoro’s decision to seek the
nomination from Oriade LCDA, noting that the former minister
“has strong filial relationship with the area. So, he is qualified
to contest senatorial election in Lagos West senatorial
district.”
Aside, the party chieftain revealed that Obanikoro “has started
consulting political leaders across the senatorial district and
engaging party leaders of Oriade LCDA ahead of the
primaries.
However, another chieftain said Obanikoro’s decision to
contest the senatorial election has thrown the APC chieftains
in Lagos West senatorial district into confusion, especially
those from six LCDAs/LGAs in Alimosho, citing their refusal
to accept the party’s proposal to accommodate all interests in
the constitution of the LCDA/LGA Executive Councils.
He said Obanikoro “is a son of the soil. We know his
antecedents in Lagos State. He, also, has roots in Oriade
LCDA. Aside, he has added much value to the people of
Lagos State. So, he is qualified to seek senatorial nomination
in Lagos West.”
Obanikoro’s defection at his Lagos Island constituency ended
months of speculations about the status of his political
allegiance.
Obanikoro defected to the APC along with other bigwigs of
PDP in Lagos State including a former aide of former
president Good luck Jonathan, Mrs. Modupe Shasore
penultimate Saturday.
After receiving the party flag from the chairman of Lagos
APC, Chief Oladele Ajomale, Obanikoro noted that he was
happy to return to the fold of his age-long political associates
after his long sojourn in the PDP.
He said he defected because he could not find fulfillment in
the PDP and that he joined the APC because he had a
mission to render service on its platform.
The ex-minister said his former party “cannot offer him the
platform for the kind of service he want to render. Today, I
and others are not just joining the APC for joining sake, rather,
we are joining because we are on a mission.
“I had joined the PDP a few years ago with the hope that
certain things would be done right to enable me make the
desired impact. That did not happen. And now, Tinubu has
taken leadership to another level, not only in the state, but at
the national level.
“So, my joining the APC is not by accident. It is to return to
my people and seek a platform on which I can render service
to my people, because leadership is about service and co-
ordination of talents to achieve results. We have looked
everywhere, and the only party that offers that platform for
service delivery is the APC.”