The Inside Story Revealed
Many political watchers have been wondering what would be the next move of Senator Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro as 2018 is imminent. Since he dumped the PDP and joined the APC in Lagos a few months back, many people have been asking: What is in it for this popular Lagos Senator. Will he be fielded as a guber candidate? Or will he be given a Senatorial ticket? What is the deal, they wondered.
City People can authoritatively tell you what Koro is planning to do. We can reveal authoritatively that Koro is eyeing one of the 3 senatorial seats in Lagos. He wants to go for the APC Senatorial ticket for Lagos West.
Before he agreed to join the APC, he had strong assurances that he would be handsomely compensated. We gathered that Koro, having been frustrated inside the Lagos PDP, by key members inside the opposition party, Koro simply went back to hold talks with the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his former boss, who helped his career blossom all the way back in 1999, when he was made Commissioner in Lagos State, under Asiwaju.
We hear the deal is for Koro to run for the Senate in APC, while one of the current Senators will be told to step down for him.
One thing Koro has going for him is his political astuteness and agility. He is a veteran in the game of politics.
Don’t forget that he served as Senator for Lagos State from 2003-2007, and was later appointed High Commissioner to Ghana. He served as the Minister of State for Defence in 2014.
He is an indigene of Lagos state who was born in Lagos, from Bakare family of Ita-Ado in Isale Eko, Ikare and Ilashe in Amuwo Odofin Local Government of Lagos State. The Obanikoro (Ajayi-Bembe) family of Lagos and Idoluwole (Ojo Local Government of Lagos), and the Eletu-Odibo (Oshobile) family of Isale-Eko, Lagos.
He attended Saint Patrick’s Catholic School, Idumagbo, Lagos and Ahmadiyya College (Anwar-ul/Islam College) Agege. He worked briefly as a Clerical Officer at LSHMBS, and at Union Bank as a Clerk before travelling overseas for further studies. While in the US, he attended Texas Southern University,where he earned his B.Sc degree in Public Affairs and Master’s Degree in Public Administration (M. P. A).
He served as an intern with Houston Adult Probation Department, Houston, Texas. He worked as a social worker and later as the head of the adolescent unit with Little Flower Children Service (an agency affiliated with New York City Department of Social Service). He is an honorary citizen of Glenarden, Maryland and Little Rock, Arkansas.
He returned to Nigeria in 1989 and started his political career immediately. He was appointed a Caretaker Committee Chairman of Surulere Local Government (National Republican Convention). He was elected State Deputy Chairman (NRC); appointed by a former governor of Lagos state, Sir Michael Otedola’s administration as a Director, LASBULK (Lagos State Bulk Purchasing Corporation); and member, Lagos State Football Association. He has served as Delegate to Local Government Congress, State Congress, and National Convention. He has also served as an Elected State Secretary, Justice Forum. He was also a Chairman, Lagos Island Local Government.
He was a national Executive Member, Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) under the military government of General Sani Abacha.
He was appointed State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture in 1999 and served for 4 years before he was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Musiliu Obanikoro was elected senator for Lagos Central in April 2003, running on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). During the election, each side accused the other of hijacking ballot boxes. He later defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In April 2007, Musiliu Obanikoro ran for Governor of Lagos State on the PDP’s ticket, but lost the election to Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress. His nomination as PDP’s candidate was controversial. Hilda Williams, widow of the murdered Engineer Funsho Williams, had been declared winner of the Lagos PDP’s primaries, but the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) led by Ahmadu Ali gave the ticket to Obanikoro. The disunited PDP under Bode George also lost the Lagos State Senate and all but one seat in the House of Representatives and 37 State House of Assembly seats to the AC.
In 2015, there was rumour that he was interested in contesting for the governorship of Lagos State in the 2015 polls and that he would be up against the likes of Jimi Agbaje, Adebayo Doherty and Kitoye Branco-Rhodes for the PDP’s ticket. He later made his interest in the gubernatorial ticket of his party public and official, but later dropped the ambition to support Jimi Agbaje.
But now as the race for the elections hots up, which ticket will Koro be given? This is because Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi, who currently representing Lagos Central is seeking re-election and Senator Solomon Adeola (popularly called Yayi), who is currently representing Lagos West might be contesting governorship in Ogun State. Senator Ashafa is the man in Lagos East. Since Koro is from Lagos Central, will Senator Oluremi Tinubu step down for him or will she move to Lagos West and allow Koro take over Lagos Central. We would keep you posted. All we can say for now is that his posters reveal Lagos West. End of story.
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