Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, is quietly plotting his return to the House after losing out in his bid to clinch the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
Ikuforiji, a third term lawmaker came fourth at the December 4 primaries won by Akinwunmi Ambode.
Having lost in his bid to fly his party’s flag in the 2015 governorship election, sources close to the 56-year-old Epe-born politician said he has now turned his eyes back to the legislature.
Unfortunately, however, primaries to elect APC’s candidates for the House of Assembly were held across the state on December 2 and flag bearers have emerged for all the constituencies, but Ikuforiji is said to be appealing to leaders of the party to withdraw one of its tickets from a candidate and hand it over to him like Governor Rochas Okorocha did in Imo State after losing at the presidential primary.
“Unfortunately for the Speaker, the ticket for Ikeja 01 Constituency which he currently represents was won by Folajimi Mohammed, son of our National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, and there is no way anybody can collect it from him,” the source said.
The second option said to considering by Ikuforiji is the ticket for Ikeja 02 won by Damola Kasumu, a nephew to Tinubu and grandson of the late Iyaloja General, Abibat Mogaji, but like Mohammed, Kasumu too is not willing to let go of his mandate.
Worst still, our correspondent gathered that Ikuforiji’s deputy in the House, Hon. Musibau Kolawole, is also not keen to have the Speaker returned the Assembly.
Kolawole, a fourth time lawmaker representing Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Constituency 01, hopes to become speaker if he is re-elected in 2015 and believes that
his chances will be greatly diminished if Ikuforiji returns, given his influence in the Assembly and his financial power.
However, if current efforts to get the chubby Speaker back to the House through the back door fails, the party may offer him the post of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), as a reward for his loyalty to the party.
Ikuforiji had on Sunday told newsmen that “in all of my years in politics and in managing the affairs of the assembly, I have always believed in party supremacy and in protecting the interest of the people.”
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