2023: Elegushi withdraws from Reps poll despite picking ticket, as Machina rejects Lawan offer
Winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos, Oyekanmi Elegushi, has given up the ticket, as he has also withdrawn from the poll in 2023.
The decision by Elegushi comes amid refusal by winner of the Yobe North APC senatorial primaries, Bashir Machina, to step down for President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, who had lost his Presidential primary poll to Ahmed Tinubu and moved to reclaim to return to reclaim his senate seat.
This was contained in a statement by Tobi Etti, the director of Media Unit, Prince Oyekanmi Elegushi Campaign Organisation, on Tuesday in Lagos.
Etti said that Mr Elegushi has also in a letter to the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, made his withdrawal from the election known.
According to the Etti, the Reps aspirant relinquished his ticket despite winning the party’s primary election, after polling 25 votes to defeat the incumbent, Ibrahim Obanikoro, who polled 23 votes, just to obey the party’s leadership.
“While pledging his loyalty to the party, he (Elegushi) appealed to his supporters to respect the decision of the party and ensure all the candidates of the party are returned elected in the 2023 elections,” the statement said in part.
Meanwhile, all efforts by Lawan’s cronies as well as some APC chieftains to convince Machina to step down for the president of the Senate failed as the senatorial candidate insisted that he will not withdraw.
According to sources, Lawan was secretly given the INEC form by the APC headquarters to fill for submission, although he didn’t submit himself for party screening and didn’t participate in the senatorial primary election which took place in Gashua town on May 28.
In the primaries, Machina, who was the sole candidate, got 289 votes.
According to sources, Lawan met with the APC National Vice Chairman, North East, Mustapha Salihu and they are trying to ‘forcefully take over’ the ticket from Mr Machina.
When contacted on the allegations, the APC National Vice Chairman, North East said he never interfered in the local party decisions in Yobe.
“I don’t interfere with local party arrangement in states. Yobe has its own unique way of primaries, which is a general consensus.
“All aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination forms nationwide have filled the withdrawal forms, which is a clear consent to withdraw in case of any superior interest, and with the consent of the party stakeholders in the state.
“I’m aware that it is a national party policy for aspirants who lost the presidential ticket to return to their seats in the Senate. You can see Godswill Akpabio has already reclaimed his senatorial ticket,” Salihu added.
