Kunle ADELABU & Tawakalitu ASHIMI (SIWES Student)
-Thanks party members for entrusting him with their mandate
Hon. Sanai Oyeniran Bolanle Agunbiade, the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of the Ikorodu Constituency 1, on Friday, November 9, 2018, organized a high powered Thanks-Giving/Praise service to mark the hitch-free primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikorodu.
He equally used the occassion to express his profound appreciation to the people of Ikorodu community, especially members of his party, for entrusting him with their mandate to vie for the Assembly seat for the fourth term and also to thank God for not recording any loss of life despite the tensions that characterized the build-up to the elections.
The memorable event was held at the lawmaker’s Constituency/Campaign Office located on Awolowo Way, Grammar School, Oke-Ota Ona, Ikorodu, Lagos state and recorded an electrifying attendance of party leaders and members, constituents, muslims and christian clerics and gospel singers who had all come to rejoice, pray and praise God with Hon. Agunbiade.
Among the gospel artistes on ground to perform were Bukky Black, De-Levites Generation Band and Born Great Music House. Their soulful performances elevated most of the guests to the realm of the spirits.
Members of the congregation with music talents were also given the opportunity to entertain the gathering.
A popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Alhaji Muhammad Isiak Folorunsho Fagba, NASFAT Missioner, Surulere branch, opened proceedings with an opening prayer and a brief but thought provoking and soul searching sermon.
In the sermon, Sheik Fagba emphasized the mightiness of God in the life of Hon. Agunbiade and praised Him for what He has used the lawmaker to accomplished in the lives of other people.
He commended the three-term lawmaker for deeming it fit to thank his creator after a turbulent primary elections.
The revered cleric also lauded Hon. Agunbiade for having a huge supporter base and advised him to continue to fulfill his promises to them so that they would also continue to support his political ambition at all times.
Hon Agunbiade, in his speech titled, ‘I Thank God For His Grace, I Thank You For Your Support’, thanked Almighty God for what He has done in his life and appreciated the support given to him by the good people of Ikorodu whom he described as God’s sent.
“My good people of Ikorodu Constituency I, I always hold the view that a man’s portion in life is pre-determined and released from the high heavens; but handed over to the beneficiaries through his fellow humans”, he stated.
“These humans are the agents we all prefer to address as ‘destiny’ helpers.
“You are one of my destiny helpers through whom the grace of God visited me in the last House of Assembly primary election and bestowed on me once again, the ticket of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby, making me its flag-bearer for the February 2019 general elections.
Hon Agunbiade, while stating that he was not the most intelligent or competent amongst the aspirants, added that his emergence was divine.
“I am neither the most intelligent nor the most competent amongst the various talented individuals who aspired to represent Ikorodu Constituency I in the House of Assembly but I deemed myself simply ordained by God and elected by the people in the last primary election.
“For this, I am very humbled and grateful”, Hon. Agunbiade humbly stated.
Also, the lawmaker pledged to continually justify the people’s mandate.
“As a beneficiary of your mandate and trust, I promise to continue to justify the mandate and trust you have graciously reposed in me over the years. God being my strength and his grace being my armor, I will not let you down”, he assured the people of Ikorodu.
He, however, appealed to other aspirants who lost at the party’s primary elections and other aggrieved members of the party to bury their hatchets and come together to work for the success of the party in the general elections.
He added that he has already met with some of the aspirants for reconciliation and promised to reach out to others.
“Now that we are close to the general elections, I want to enjoin you all to please leave no stone unturned in this struggle to achieve total victory for all the candidates of our party (APC) in the general elections.
“It is in the light of this that I will like to appeal to you and through you to other sons and daughters of Ikorodu to look beyond the frictions of the primary elections.
“Ikorodu is bigger than all of us and we can’t get it wrong if we do it right”, Hon. Agunbiade stated.
While appealing to his own supporters to show magnanimity in victory, he asked those loyal to his opponents in the recently concluded primary elections to help their respective aspirants accept reconciliation in good time in the interest of the party and constituency in general.
“To all my teeming supporters and admirers, I plead that we show more magnanimity in our relationship with others and allow electoral wounds (if any) to heal faster.
“I also appeal to supporters from all camps to assist contestants in the primary elections to reunite fast, we cannot continue to fan the ember of disunity and expect our constituency to grow and develop politically”, he stated.
“To all that voted in the primary election, whether for or against me, I commend you for coming out to vote. We are one and shall remain together in progress and in grace”.
The Majority Leader also used the special occasion to present the candidates of his party in the 2019 general elections to the members of his constituents.
“I want to tell you and also solicit your support in the coming elections for our party’s candidates. We must achieve total victory for our party by voting for all the candidates on the APC platform.
“For President, our great party has given President Buhari the ticket and I appeal to you all to vote for Sai Baba. In Lagos State, our governorship candidate is Mr Babajide Sanwoolu and I also appeal that you must vote for our incoming governor.
“For the Lagos East Senatorial seat, our candidate is Hon. Bayo Osinowo while for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency seat at the Federal House of representatives, it is Hon. Babajimi Benson that will be representing our great party. For the Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Solaja is our candidate while Hon. Sanai Agunbiade will be standing in as our party’s candidate for Ikorodu Constituency I. I appeal to you all to vote for all these candidates in the coming general elections”, he again appealed.
Among political leaders at the well-attended ceremony were Alhaji Rilwan Jinadu, Hon. Kunle Ogunbela, Alhaji Taiwo Longe, Comrade Kehinde Okeowo, Hon. Abiodun Iyiola, Elder Olakitan, Hon. Mathew Adesanya, Alhaji Lamidi Folorunsho, Hon. Salman Ayobami among others.
Also in attendance were APC chairmen, women leaders and Councilors from Ikorodu Central Local Government, Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) as well as representatives of Arewa community, market women and men, Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LACOSTA), Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), and students Union.
