By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The People’s Democratic Party candidate for Kosofe Federal Constituency in the 2023 general election has sparked debate among the party faithful, opposition, and electorate, respectively.
Some schools of thought are of the opinion that her choice would increase the chances of the party at the pool, coupled with the fact that the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Mrs. Kafilat Ogbara, for the Kosofe Federal constituency seat, are yet to reconcile with the major political gladiators 3 months after her emergence, according to a top-flight source.
Many keen political observers compared the actions and inactions following her controversial victory to what led to the APC’s recent failure in the Osun State gubernatorial election, which was won by the PDP’s candidate, H. E. Ademola Adeleke.
While other schools of thought stated that Florence Adepegba was not a match for the 2007 PDP House of Rep candidate, now APC candidate, Kafilat Ogbara in Kosofe and Nationwide Politics.
According to them, the 2015 and 2019 PDP candidates for Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos, Sherifat Olushola Hassan, would have made a better candidate and posed a serious threat than a greenhorn candidate.
Many believe that the Kosofe Federal Constituency contest is between the candidate of APC, Ogbara, and the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP flagbearer, Abdulwaheed Odunuga, a breakaway member of APC, who was a staunch supporter of Dayo Bush, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, who claimed a secured majority of the 50 delegates ahead of the primary election until he was forced alongside other contestants to subcumb to the party supremacy on the eve of the election, which paved the way for the alleged imposition of Ogbara.
This background of lack of political activities and programmes, publicity and awareness, the main political stakeholders, gave an impression that if she failed to jump-start her campaigns, her outing may be PDP’s worst ever in Kosofe.
In recent times, the PDP 2015 Kosofe Constituency 1 candidate and 2023 House of Assembly aspirant, Francis Adebayo, came to her rescue following public complaints of poor campaign; He produced quality posters for her and pasted them at strategic locations within the constituency.
A novice, on the other hand, must work harder when facing a six-time defending champion, the All Progressives Congress, and its candidate.