FASHOLA'S SUCCESSION PLAN SUFFERS SETBACK .... The rumble unsettles the party as Tinubu asks all aspirants to go for primaries.

The plan by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State to ensure that a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the state, Mr. Olasupo Shasore, succeeds him in office is facing mounting opposition.
A highly placed chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend said that the party leaders across the state had expressed strong opposition to Fashola's decision to support Shasore's governorship aspiration.
The chieftain described Fashola's decision as an affront to the party's consensual arrangement which, he said, "has formally zoned the state's governorship position in the 2015 election to Lagos East."
The chieftain, who demanded anonymity, confirmed that Fashola's succession plan formed part of the agenda of a meeting of the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC) that would held in Ikeja.

The party leaders explained the reasons Fashola opted for Shasore at the expense of Hamzat, whom the governor had initially assured of his support, noting that the governor backed Shasore's aspiration because he stood by him during the face-off between him (Fashola) and Tinubu in 2010.
Besides, the party leaders explained that Fashola decided to promote Shasore, because they were said to be friends from childhood, noting that whatever might inform Fashola's decision to support Shasore's governorship aspiration "will not change the party's agreement to pick its candidate from Lagos East."

But he said the APC national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, had maintained his position on the state governorship race, noting that once the party leaders "have agreed to zone the slot to Lagos East, all party chieftains and members should respect the agreement."
He said the presentation of Shasore by the governor was a total deviation from the party's consensual arrangement that its candidate would emerge from Lagos East, mainly comprising Epe, Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki.
According to him, Tinubu remains unperturbed by Fashola's decision to present Shasore to the party. He has insisted that all aspirants should face the primaries irrespective of those backing their aspiration.

But investigation revealed that the GAC had scheduled to meet today, listing Shasore's governorship aspiration as part of the agenda to be deliberated at the meeting.
The source said the council, which comprised about 15 leaders of the party from different parts of the state considered Shasore's governorship aspiration as a deviation from the party's zoning arrangement.
The source revealed that Shasore would collect the APC governorship nomination form this week, noting that Fashola's decision "to back Shasore's aspiration can change the party's political calculation."
The source said the party had insisted on the party's consensual arrangement, which he said, zoned the state governorship slot "to Lagos East considering the fact that Lagos West produced Tinubu between 1999 and 2007 while Lagos Central produced Fashola from 2007 to date."
The source explained that the leaders opposed the succession plan of Fashola, who favoured Shasore as his likely successor, explaining that the plan would be unfair to Lagos East, which they said, had been endorsed to produce the party's governorship candidate.
The source listed about eight different aspirants seeking to succeed Fashola from Lagos East on APC's platform alone, noting that nothing stopped the governor from promoting any of the aspirants.
He said the aspirants included the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; whom the governor had initially assured of his support and former Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tola Kasali.
He, named other aspirants in the party to include the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon; former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan and former Accountant-General of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and former Chief Detail Officer to Tinubu, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, among others.
The party leaders explained the reasons Fashola opted for Shasore at the expense of Hamzat, whom the governor had initially assured of his support, noting that the governor backed Shasore's aspiration because he stood by him during the face-off between him (Fashola) and Tinubu in 2010.
Besides, the party leaders explained that Fashola decided to promote Shasore, because they were said to be friends from childhood, noting that whatever might inform Fashola's decision to support Shasore's governorship aspiration "will not change the party's agreement to pick its candidate from Lagos East."