-Ikorodu Division APC leaders tell Eminent Persons, solicited supports for Ambode, other APC candidates
Kunle Adelabu
Leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, across the six Local Government and Local Government development Areas (LCDAs) across Ikorodu Division, on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, told the Eminent Persons in Ikorodu Division (EPID) that it has no power to tell Ikorodu people who they should vote for in the coming elections.
This statement was made at a press conference which took place at Adeniran Ogunsanya’s secretariat of the party at Oke Ota-Ona, Ikorodu.
The political leaders led by former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye refuted claim that the Lagos State governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Jimi Agbaje has been endorsed by indigenes of Ikorodu, arguing that he is not an Ikorodu indigene.
The leaders gave reasons on why EPID cannot pronounce on behalf of Ikorodu that a particular candidate has been adopted.
“First, to the best of our knowledge, Jimi Agbaje is not an indigene of Ikorodu Division. He had in 2007 publicly declared himself as a family member of the Onilegbale Family of Lagos and therefore an indigene of Lagos Division.”
It was added that, “Jimi Agbaje has never been part of any cultural activities (e.g. Ikorodu-Oga Day, Igbogbo Day, Ajede Luwasa Day, Imota Ayayo Day), social or local organization in Ikorodu Division. Even when Conference of Leaders of Ikorodu Division (COLID) invited indigenes in 2007 to make a choice among the contestants for Lagos State governorship, Jimi Agbaje did not identify himself with the Division. Mr Owolabi Salis, an indigene of Ikorodu Division, was picked for the position; and Jimi Agbaje contested the governorship election under the DPA.”
Condemning the position of EPID in adopting the PDP candidate on behalf of Ikorodu, APC leaders stated at the press conference, “the EPID, being a socio-cultural organization, does not have the locus to make such a wild and far-reaching declaration on behalf of the good people of Ikorodu Division.”
“We the leaders and members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikorodu Division, totally condemn and dissociate ourselves from the declaration”, they added in the statement.
The leaders who stated that Ikorodu people have always been voting for progressive parties since 1950s, also declared that Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the APC gubernatorial candidate as their preferred choice who the people of Ikorodu Division should vote for in the coming elections.
“For avoidance of doubt, the Governorship candidate which the Ikorodu delegates voted for overwhelmingly at he APC primary on December 4, 2014 and who won is Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. He is the candidate all our leaders and members are working tirelessly to get elected as the next Governor of Lagos State to succeed our indefatigable Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN”,
“We hereby call on the people of Ikorodu Division to vote massively for APC Governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Febrary 28, 2015 as the next Governor of Lagos State, and reject Mr Jimi Agbaje who is alien to both the position of governor and our Division. We also charge our people to turn out in large number to vote for our Prsidential candidate, Major Muhammed Buhari, GCFR; Senatorial candidate, Senator Gbenga Ashafa; House of Represenatives candidate, Barrister Jimi Benson; Lagos State House of Assembly candidates for Constituency I and II, Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade and Alhaji Nurudeen Saka Solaja, respectively during the February 2015 General Elections” APC leaders solicited.
Also at the press conference were Asiwaju Olorufunmi Basoru, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government; Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanai O.B. Agunbiade, Hon (Mrs) Adebimpe Akinsola; Alhaji Rilwan Jinadu, Alhaji Folorunsho, Alhaji Akibu Akinwunmi, Alhaji Owokodu and Alhaji Sheriff Anipole among many others.
