Veteran Representative, Abike Dabiri, Bows Out of Reps Race After 12 Years

Report by Victoria Ayuwei, Per Second News

After spending 12 productive years in the House of Representatives, Honourable Abike Kafayat Oluwatoyin Dabiri-Erewa has decided to gracefully bow out, as she will not be returning to the House in the next dispensation.

The APC Rep decision comes just hours before the Lagos state primaries.

Dabiri-Erewa, 52, is a third term member of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly. This confers on her, the status of the most prominent female politician in Lagos State, and one of the most prominent politicians in Nigeria today.

According to close associates of the lawmaker, her decision to vacate the seat for other people to take the reins is to give other people the opportunity to serve as well.

“She has a distaste for political sit-tight syndrome", according to a source close to the lawmaker.

Meanwhile, a source in the Lagos APC said that she may have bowed to certain undisclosed pressure and jettisoned her political ambition by pulling out from the race for re-election.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that a certain national leader of the party asked the lawmaker to forget about re-election as the state may not allow fair contest among the aspirants.

Per Second News gathered that the same leader also tried to stop her re-election in 2011 despite her stellar performance in the National Assembly.

The APC leader it was learnt, may have resolved to ensure that a consensus candidate is chosen for the position.

Speaking over the phone with Per Second News Saturday night, the National publicity secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he was unaware of the decision by Hon Dabiri-Erewa to bow out gracefully.

A firm believer in the importance of service to humanity, Dabiri-Erewa voluntarily retired from the services of the NTA to contest as a member of the House of Representative and swept the poll with a landslide victory in 2003. Ever since then, she has distinguished herself by working tirelessly. Dabiri-Erewa undertakes a lot of important bills, defends the interest of her party most vociferously and has a strong passion for service.

Source: Osun Defender