Obasanjo’s Step-Daughter Joins Lagos 2015 Gubernatorial Race

The race for the governorship seat of Lagos come 2015 gets tougher by the day as more and more aspirants make their intentions known. It appears the latest on a long list of gubernatorial aspirants for the governorship seat of the commercial capital of the country is Adetokunbo Tobun-Agbesanwa, the step-daughter of ex Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

She is the current senior special assistant to the Lagos state governor on school environmental advocacy.  In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, she declared her intention to run in next year’s Lagos gubernatorial election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

She said she is not fettered by male dominance in Lagos politics and fancies her chances irrespective of gender:

“First, as with any endeavour or responsibility, the eligibility of any individual aspiring for any job or position is measured by his credentials and suitability for the job. The constitution provides that a person shall be eligible for the office of governor if he or she is a citizen of Nigeria by birth, at least 35 years of age; is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party. There is no provision for gender discrimination in this article. Consequently, I believe I even have more than enough requirements for the job…”

Adetokunbo also spoke of how her parents influenced her foray into politics:

My parents played a great role in my development and my passion for politics. I wanted to study law but found myself studying political science. My father, Chief Adekunle Tobun’s activities during the Third Republic, when he contested for the gubernatorial primaries and the campaigns then, gave me a lot to learn and think about. My late mother, Major Moji Adekunle-Obasanjo, gave me all the support and opportunity to utilise my knowledge and, at every instance, continued to boost my self-esteem. I am very lucky to have such great personalities as parents.