The All Progressives Congress, APC, has cleared 12 governorship aspirants in Lagos state to partcipate in its governorship primaries on Thursday. The aspirants cleared are: the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, former Accountant-General of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan and the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructures, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat Others are former Chief Detail to Senator Bola Tinubu, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Shasore, former Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tola Kasali and Mr. Adetokunbo Wahab among other aspirants. Hamzat, however, abruptly cancelled the formal declaration of his governorship aspiration slated to hold today at The Haven, Ikeja.

According to a source, the event was cancelled due to the party primaries, which were suddenly rescheduled. Also, it is being alleged that Hamzat cancelled his declaration ceremony in the bid to prepare for the primaries in which the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola is said to be rooting for Shasore. A source privy to Fashola’s backing of Shasore said, “he (Fashola) has been supporting Shasore’s governorship aspiration.

Shasore has been Fashola’s original candidate from the beginning. But his aspiration has violated the party’s zoning rule, which has been in force since 1999. The same rule was applied in 2007″. “The party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu came to power in 1999 from Lagos West and Fashola in 2007 from Lagos Central. It is now the turn of Lagos East senatorial district. It is ironic that Fashola is supporting an aspirant outside the party’s zoning calculation.” The source, however, added that despite Shasore’s backing by Fashola, Ambode remains the front-runner as he is said to have the backing of the national leader of the party, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and also has strong grassroots support.