Kunle ADELABU, Segun ADESUYI, Abiodun TESLIM & Seun AJAYI
-Urge residents to use 2019 elections to prove Ikorodu’s electoral values
Residents of Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, defied the heavy downpour in the early hours of Saturday, June 30, 2018, to march enmase for the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration and collection.
Many of the parcipants at the rally agreed that the PVC is the ticket to prove the electoral values of Ikorodu division come 2019.
Participants at the march event were drawn from the six Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Ikorodu ( Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Ijede LCDA, Imota LCDA, Ikorodu West LCDA, Ikorodu LG and Ikorodu North LCDA).
Also, other participants were drawn from the market men and women, traders, youth groups, traditional political parties, socio-cultural and civil service sectors among others.
Residents that partook in the historic march started arriving at the Ikorodu Ferry/Nigerian Port Authority/Dangote roundabout, Ebute, the converging point of the 1-Million man March organized by the Otunba Ganiyu Abiru (GOA) Senatorial Campaign Team, as early as 6.30am and by 9am, the march took off as the huge crowd moved from the converging point and headed towards Ebute/T.O.S Benson Avenue.
From Ebute/T.O.S. Benson Avenue, the march train moved through Ojogbe, Ita-Elewa, Oriwu road, Ota-Ona, Alhaji Street,Itunpate Road, Adeniran Ogunsanya Road, Sabo, Ikorodu/Sagamu Road, Ikorodu Garage Roundabout, Ayangbure road where the participants had a stop over to pay homage at the Ayangbure palace during which His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, addressed them.
After the homage at the palace, the huge crowd continued with the historic march as they headed towards Ita Elewa road and berthed at the open ground opposite the Ikorodu Post Office, where Otunba Abiru, a Senatorial aspirant and Convener of the march, addressed the participants on the need for the registeration and collection of PVC.
While the main rally was going on within Ikorodu Local Government and Ikorodu West LCDA, a mini van was also conveying some officials of the organising team of the march round Ikorodu North, Igbogbo/Bayeku, Imota and Ijede LCDA, to sensitise people on PVC resgistration and collection and also to distribute flyers.
Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, the Chairman of Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and a Senatorial aspirant who was the Convener of the march, while addressing the participants stated that PVC is the electorate economic and political power and enjoined them to get it.
“In our continued efforts to ensure the success of year 2019 elections and also vote for candidates of our choice, we can’t, therefore, ignore the need to possess the PVC which is our political and economic power.
“Let me say here, that while I cannot claim to be oblivious of the problems being encountered in the process of PVC collection, I want to encourage you to fight all the odds and disallow the challenges from disefranching you.
“We are dialoguing with INEC officials on ways to facilitate the registration process and I am sure in no distant date, the INEC office will come up with solutions to combat the challenges and solve the problems.
“This rally and efforts put into it will not worth the while if we cannot register about 90% of eligible voters.
“Your PVC is your future and must not be treated with levity. If you have not obtained your PVC, the time to do that is now. Voting for your candidate of your choice is not only a constitutional demand but also a natural imperative.
Otunba Abiru, who emphasized the relationship among politics, economics, voting and good governance, asked the populace to involve actively in politics.
“Today marks another outstanding achievement in our bold and determined efforts at the up scalling our political enlightenment and education programme in preparation for the year 2019 Elections. I must say from the outset that regardless of what our challenges could be, our future still remains bright and hopeful”.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that as someone rightly said that politics and economics are Siamese twins that are difficult to separate. That being so, it is a fact of life that politics remains the indispensable fulcrum on which other activities revolved.
“It goes without any exaggeration, therefore, that once we get our politics wrong, all other things would definitely be chaotic.
“This rally, therefore, is to orchestrate the strategic importance of politics in our lives and consequently encourage active participation of our people in order for us to be able to determine who governs or directs our affairs as their action or inaction would undoubtedly have a direct or an indirect consequence on our being”.
Oba Kabiru Shotobi, while addressing the crowd, said that, “For Ikorodu division to attain its rightful place within the Lagos State and Nigeria political arrangements, residents and indigenes must register and get their PVC in other to vote in the coming elections.
The royal father added, “It is through voting that Ikorodu division can prove that it’s the first in term of population and political engagements.
He charged the residents to report any case of inconveniences being experienced at the INEC office and other registration centres in the cause of registering for PVC to either the local government chairmen or the Obas in the division.
Oba Shotobi also commended the Convener of the march for the initiative and his contributions to Ikorodu development as the chairman of the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS).
Also addressing the crowd at the Ayangbure palace, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in Lagos State and State Vice Chairman , APC Lagos East Senatorial District, said there is need for Ikorodu people to prove their electoral numbers in the coming elections.
He noted that eligible voters in Ikorodu is about one million people.
Other dignitaries who participated in the march were Princess Aderenle Ogunsanya, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, Vice Chairman Ikorodu Local Government,Comrade Kehinde Okeowo, Director General GOA Team, Mayor Deen Sanwoola, Director-General, iCare Movement , Chief Mufutau Odusoga, Chairman, Ikorodu Council of Baales and Chief Olomo, Baale of Ojogbe among others.
