A Lagos-based lawyer, Eyitope Success-Adekunle Esqr, has suspected the reason why former governor of Lagos State and incumbent Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has not declared his intention to contest for President in 2023, enthusing however, that he will do so only at the appropriate time.
Barrister Success-Adekunle, in a chat with a news medium on Monday in Lagos, explained that “as a professional senior colleague, I have the belief that, he is being mindful of what the law says before acting, because it would be unpardonable for a Senior Advocate like Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola to commit needless legal blunders.”
Success-Adekunle, a vocal lawyer and rights activist, who is also the Convener of an all women non-governmental organization, NGO Women for Change Initiatives, WCI, pointed out that going by what the Electoral Act 2022 stipulates, there is still abundant period for Fashola to declare his intention, commending the minister for taking his time to do the right thing at the appropriate time.
Quoting from the Electoral Act, the woman activist/legal practitioner said that submission of nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the political parties is slated for between Friday 10, June and Friday 17, June, 2022 starting from 9a.m to 6pm for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
In the same vein, the NGO boss informed that beginning of campaign by political parties for presidential and National Assembly elections is slated by the INEC for Wednesday 28 September 2022, observing that “going by the Act, Fashola still has enough time to do the needful, while still concentrating on the assignment of infrastructure development his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, placed squarely on his shoulders.
Speaking further, the rights of advocate expressed enthusiasm that “the minister will soon declare his intention to serve his father land as President, Federal Republic of Nigeria at the appropriate time,” adding, “The Fashola we know does not take his job lightly as a through bred performer, who loves thoroughness and perfection and so he would do away with any form of detraction so as not to disappoint his boss as well as the good people of the country.”
Success-Adekunle reminded that the route of electoral processes has never been strange to him, because it has been a path he has travelled through a couple of times before and he has mastered the road, explaining that “against that backdrop, whenever Fashola eventually decides to show interest, he will just hit the ground running and he will cover a lot of ground and overtake those who have been on the road before him.
“I therefore urge the people to sustain the support they pledge for him and even maximise it, so that whenever he steps out, the whole Nigeria will erupt in jubilation.”
She further added that “since Fashola needs no introduction, it will not be difficult for him to sail through to the party’s primary and eventual victory at the poll.”
