May 23, (THEWILL) – Next to oil, politics in Nigeria is the most attractive and biggest money spinner. Little wonder, some people have resolved to remain in politics even as they have nothing to offer, while others have recruited their offsprings to join them in the ‘lucrative business’ and go on build political dynasties long after they are gone. In the light of this, IVORY UKONU unveils some young Nigerians, interested in elective positions, whose parents are well known politicians:
Bello el-Rufai
Serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to his father, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, is not enough for Bello who wants to represent Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, on the platform of All Progressives Congress. While there is nothing wrong with his aspirations, there is a lot to worry about someone who wants to champion the interests, needs and aspirations of a group of people when he has no qualms threatening to organise the gang rape of an adversary’s mother over a social media banter that degenerated to a disagreement.
“Tell your mother I’m passing her to my friends tonight. No Igbo sounds please,” he told his adversary.
Clearly, his threat violated the Cybercrime Act and when criticised for his conduct, he went on a tirade of verbal abuse and threats and refused to apologise for his reckless statements. When matters got to a head, Bello eventually issued a terse apology that did nothing to douse flared tempers.
Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu
She is the daughter of a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori. After two terms in the Delta State House of Assembly, Erhiatake has her eyes set on representing the same constituency in the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, come 2023. Naturally, she hopes to achieve this feat with the help of her father, who is considered a demi-god of some sort in the politics of Delta State.
However, despite his immense influence in the politics of the state, Ibori had to put his pride aside to appeal to the sensibilities of Delta State delegates to vote his daughter rather than insist on their votes at the party’s primaries.
“Do this for me. Vote for my daughter, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu for the House of Representatives Ethiope Federal Constituency,” Ibori begged the delegates.
Like her personal life, the 41-year-old’s foray into politics has been fraught with controversies. During the 2019 general election, in which she contested for a second term in the State House of Assembly, Erhiatake’s opponent from the All Progressives Congress, Chief Hope Abijor, called for the cancellation of results in some polling units and rescheduling for fresh elections in the affected areas.
Abijor had written to the Returning Officer of the Delta State Independent National Electoral Commission via his solicitors alleging delays, hijacking of election materials, thuggery and violence in some polling units. But not much was done about the situation and Erhitake’s election sailed through.
Omosede Igbinedion
She is one of the daughters of the Esama of Benin kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and a sibling to Lucky Igbinedion, a former governor of Edo State. She has put the necessary machinery in place to ensure her return to the House of Representatives to represent Ovia Federal Constituency in Edo State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Omosede, who was in the House of Reps in 2015 for one term, lost the bid to return for a second term after her opponent, Dennis Idahosa of the All Progressives Congress trounced her at the polls. Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, she approached the Election Petition Tribunal in Benin City alleging that Idahosa was not qualified to contest the election as a Canadian citizen. She also claimed that Idahosa did not resign his appointment with the Federal Ministry of Environment as a member of the board of National Agency for Great Greenwall. She added in her petition that there was over-voting, forgery and falsification of results in the election. Her petition was thrown out for lack of proof.
Chinedum Orji
He is the current Speaker of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly. Chinedum allegedly connived with his father, Senator Theodore Orji, the immediate past governor of Abia State and both stole the sum of N500 billion from the state’s coffers and laundered the funds via 100 bank accounts. After the initial noise of their arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, nothing was heared about the case again. Now he is angling to represent Ikwuano Umuahia Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, come 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Tokunbo Abiru
He comes from one of the biggest political dynasties in Lagos. In the Second Republic under Lateef Jakande’s administration, his father, Mubasiru Akanbi Olatunji Abiru, became a Senator of the Federal Republic from Lagos East Senatorial District. He moved on to become a High Court judge during which period he headed an armed robbery and firearms tribunal before he passed on to immortality.
Abiru’s sons, Rotimi and Tokunboh, have taken over from where he stopped. Rotimi Abiru was a former Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Shomolu State Constituency II. He is currently doing his 8th term in the House. Another son, Adetokunbo Abiru, who rose to the top of his banking career as the Managing Director of Polaris Bank, is a member of the senate representing the Lagos East senatorial district on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. He clinched the ticket to contest in the by-election in December 2020 and replaced the late Senator Adebayo Sikiru Osinowo who died on June 15, 2020. He is seeking re-election in 2023 on the same platform.
Orode Uduaghan
She is the daughter of a former Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan and is currently the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
Orode, who has been away from the spotlight for some years, following the collapse of her marriage, was given the appointment not only to help launch her into the scheme of things, but also to mend the fragile relationship between her father and the incumbent.
Orode’s father had refused to support Okowa’s candidacy for reasons best known to him and he always spoke against Okowa in public foras. She is riding on this new wave of forgiveness to launch herself into mainstream politics. She is aiming to represent Warri North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly.
Kola Abiola
He is the eldest son of late Chief Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Kola has been away from the public glare for as long as anyone can remember. In between squabbling with his half-siblings over some of his father’s estates and trying to make sense of his half-sister’s decision to be in cahoots with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, he decided to be an active participant in the 2023 general election. Perhaps in a bid to actualise his late father’s unfulfilled dreams, Kola plans to run for president on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP ). He hopes to slug it out with two other presidential aspirants to get the party’s ticket.
Ladi Adebutu
Not only is he the first son of Chief Kessington Adebutu, a business magnate and Premier Lotto promoter, he is also a former member of the Federal House of Representatives. The 60-year-old was a governorship candidate in Ogun State in the 2019 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. Despite losing to the opposition due to the power play between him and the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, he is not relenting and is gunning for the seat in 2023 on the same platform. Considered one of the pillars of the PDP in the South-West geopolitical zone, Ladi, unlike others who lack the basic principles of loyalty, has remained true and faithful to the party, despite the many disappointments he has suffered as a member.
Marylin Okowa-Daramola
She is the daughter of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and also doubles as his Senior Special Assistant on Girl-Child Empowerment.
Yet Okowa does not seem to be satisfied with Marylin being his SAA alone as he plans to impose her on the people of Ika North-East by having her represent them in the Delta State House of Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. The decision to field Marilyn was arrived at, seeing that a certain section of Ika North East had for 20 years, occupied a seat in the House of Assembly. And so, they figured that it would not be out of place for other sections of Ika North-East to take their turn. And who else was deemed worthy of that seat other than?
Idris Ajimobi
One doesn’t need a soothsayer to know that Idris, one of the sons of late Abiola Ajimobi, a former governor of Oyo State, is hoping to step into his father’s shoes some day and return to the Government House, Ibadan, which his father occupied for eight years. Also, one does not need to be reminded that Idris’ mother, Florence Ajimobi, the erstwhile First Lady of Oyo State and his father in-law, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, will both guide him through the murky waters of politics to achieve his ambition.
The end game is to build a political dynasty between the Ajimobis and the Gandujes. But first, Idris would have to cut his political teeth. He plans to do so by vying for a seat in the Oyo State House of Assembly to represent Ibadan South-West Constituency II on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. His decision to join politics a few days after he was installed as the Aare Akogun Musulumi of Oyo State is not lost on political watchers.
Salihu Tanko Yakasai
He is the son of frontline northern elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, who was a former Liaison Officer to President Shehu Shagari. Salihu, who was sacked from his job as the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari, has joined the race for the governorship position in Kano State. Having dumped the All Progressives Congress after his sack, he hopes to actualise his dream on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party.
Ibrahim Babajide
Ibrahim is already a member of the House of Representatives, representing Isale-Eko constituency. He is the son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Popularly known as IBO, he is planning to return to the House in 2023 and has started mobilising the electorate to get their votes for another term of four years on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Olumide Osoba
Olumide, who is the son of the All Progressives Congress chieftain and a former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, is currently a member of the House of Representatives and the Chairman, House Committee on Sports. The laid-back young man, who represents Abeokuta North/ Obafemi- Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, is serving a second term in the House and hopes to be re-elected for a third term.
Khadijah Okunnu-Lamidi
She holds the record as the first female to make known her intention to contest for president of Nigeria in the 2023 general election. According to her, she is motivated by an urgent need to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians.
A distant relation of Senator Bola Tinubu, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, 38-year-old Khadija is the only child of Chief Lateef Olufemi Okunnu, a former Federal Commissioner for Works, lawyer and former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Khadija obviously thinks that vying to be Nigeria’s president is a joke as days to major party primaries, she is yet to announce the political platform on which she hopes to actualise her dream.
Olamiju Alao-Akala
He is one of the sons of Christopher Alao Akala, a former governor of Oyo State. Olamiju is hoping to represent Ogbomosho North/South and Orire Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Olamiju is no stranger to politics as he was a former chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government Area. With an in-law like billionaire industrialist, Razaq Akanni Okoya, Olamiju’s political war chest is a forgone issue.
Nnenna Ukeje
Like Omosede Igbinedion, Nnenna is seeking re-election into the House of Representatives to represent Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. She contested for a fourth term in the Green Chambers in 2019 and lost.
She is the daughter of late Captain Sunday Elendu-Ukeje, a decorated Nigerian Air Force pilot who also had a stint with the defunct Nigerian Airways. Her mother, Roseline Ukeje, a retired Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the first female judge of the High Court of Nigeria is known for the role she played in giving former Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, access to immunity from being probed for committing fraud when he was Chief of Staff to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who was governor of Abia State at the time.
The older Ukeje granted Orji bail from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and he was immediately flown down to Abia State House, Lagos, where he was sworn in as governor. Justice Ukeje’s daughter, Nnenna, is still reeling from the loss of her home to arsonists, who attacked her home a few month ago for failing to provide the dividends of democracy after spending 12 years at the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
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