Agbaje picks lawyer, Haleemat Busari, as deputy for 2019 Lagos governorship election

The lawyer is said to be widely-endorsed by stakeholders within and outside the PDP.

Jimi Agbaje, candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 Lagos governorship election, has picked Haleemat Busari, a lawyer, as his running mate for next year's polls.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Felix Oboagwina, on Thursday, November 1, 2018.

He noted that Busari came highly recommended and widely endorsed for the role following consultations with leaders and stakeholders within and outside the party

"Stakeholders all agree that without any iota of a doubt, the Jimi-Haleemat combination is a winning ticket on every count," he said.

Oboagwina said Busari, as a professional in corporate governance, will add versatility and connections to the joint ticket.

She graduated with a law degree from the University of Lagos and is a Director on the board of several blue-chip companies. She was also a director in telecommunications company, Zain Nigeria Ltd (now Airtel Nigeria).

Agbaje vs Sanwo-Olu Agbaje won the PDP's primary election with 1,100 votes to beat his only opponent, Deji Doherty (742 votes), according to the result announced on October 5, 2018.

Agbaje lost the 2015 governorship election to current governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, by over 150,000 votes before also losing the national chairmanship of the PDP to Uche Secondus in 2017.

The battle to become the next Lagos governor in 2019 is primed to be a showdown between Agbaje and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The election is scheduled for March 2, 2019.