Agbaje picks late Funsho Williams’ running mate

Jimi Agbaje, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced Safurat Abdulkareem as his running mate for the 2015 election.

Agbaje made the announcement in a statement signed on his behalf by Felix Oboagwina, his director of publicity.

Abdulkareem was running mate to the late Funso Williams, who was the party’s governorship candidate in 2003.

A trained teacher and an accountant, she is married to a retired air force officer and holds an MBA degree.

Responding to her nomination, Abdulkareem promised to work with Agbaje to uplift the state.

“I feel humbled about being chosen for this noble responsibility,” she said.

“Mr. Jimi Agbaje is an amiable personality. He is a complete gentleman. I hope I can really, really complement him and assist him in winning the 2015 election because Lagosians strongly desire a change in government.”

She described PDP’s chances in the governorship polls as very bright, saying she and Agbaje were entering the race at a time when Lagosians want to break away from the shackles of subjugation that has bound them for 16 years.

“Our chances are very bright. Everybody wants a change in Lagos. They want personalities who can bring positive programmes to their lives,” she said.

“We want to usher into Lagos a better way of governance, devoid of coercion and intimidation.”

Born on June 23, 1961, Abdulkareem began her educational life in Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School, Badagry, Lagos, between 1966 and 1972.

Between 1975 and 1980, she attended Government Teachers’ College, Badagry, where she obtained a Teacher’s Grade II Certificate.

She later proceeded to the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, from 1985 to 1987 for an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Accounting, followed by a Higher National Diploma (HND) from the Kano State Polytechnic (1990).

In 2006, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from the University of Ado-Ekiti.