Lagos State governorship aspirant, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (Lagos West) yesterday opened his campaign headquarters at Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja.
Solomon described the opening of the office as an expression of his presence in the state capital even though he has not officially declared his ambition.
He said his aspiration to become governor of Lagos State was long-standing. “It is not new. I was in the race in 2006. Nobody prompted me to seek the governorship ticket of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC). I have passion for it”.
Asked what programmes he would implement if elected, he said: “We are here today to express our presence at the state capital. When the time comes, we shall unfold our programmes and how we intend to implement them”. We are prepared for the job, he remarked.
He told his supporters that APC is a party of democrats where internal democracy prevails. According to him, the position of the party is that candidates for elective offices shall emerge through primaries. He made reference to Anambra State where the party’s governorship candidate for the last year’s gubernatorial election was decided through direct primaries. Even in Ekiti and Osun where there are sole candidacy of Governors Kayode Fayemi and Rauf Aregbesola , they still went through primaries, he said.
The APC, he said, had done primaries in three states. There will be primaries in all states including Lagos State. What applies to governorship ticket will apply to other elective offices. Party members would pick candidates of their choice.
“This time around, members would pick their candidates, they would exercise their rights, internal democracy would be at work. That is what APC stands for. This is our time. If we deny ourselves the opportunity, we shall have ourselves to be blamed.
Against the insinuation that the Lagos State governorship has been zoned to a particular division , Solmon said the APC constitution does not allow zoning.
He said we should not allow imposition of candidates. Those that didn’t work for the party should not come and reap what they didn’t work for.
“If you want to be a politician, you should put your profession aside and face politics. Our leader Senator Bola Tinubu was an accountant by profession but when he decided to serve people, he resigned his plum job and joined politics in 1992 and has since remained in active politics.”
Present on the occasion are Hon Toyin Aina, Mr Emmanuel Bamigboye, Alhaji Musibau Alebiosu, Bashorun Taju Jaiyesinmi, Oba Babatunde Ogunronbi, and Oba Samuel Alamu.