Kunle ADELABU
-Unveils legislative agenda themed, ‘SMILE’
-About 100 APC, SDP members decamped to PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and a frontline contender for the Ikorodu Constituency II seat at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Oyenuga Aro Moshood Abiodun, popularly called ‘AMA’, has kicked-off his campaign, which is aimed at wrestling the seat from the incumbent, with a record crowd in Imota.
The campaign, which attendance has been described as unprecedented, was held at the night market square in Imota Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.
According to the Oyenuga Campaign team, the campaign was aimed at creating an awareness that the main opposition party is still alive and ready take over the Constituency II seat at the State House of Assembly and other political offices from the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), across Ikorodu division.
The party’s flag was presented to Oyenuga by the PDP Chairman in Ikorodu Local Government, Alhaji Taiwo Adekogbe, with support of other party chieftains.
The candidate, while unveiling his agendas which has the acronyms ‘SMILE’ – Social Relation, Medical, Inclusion, Legislative Responsibility, and Empowerment Programme, emphasized that he would truly make the people of the constituency smile if elected come 2019 General Elections.
According to him, the social relation includes security, social activities, and sports.
“Security of lives and properties, promotion of music, arts and culture are going to be the central focus of our programmes. We are going to promote annual sporting events that will promote unity, discover and develop talents to the international standard.
“We are going to support health facilities across the three LCDAs in the constituency because health is wealth. We are going to ensure that our people get affordable and adequate health attention.
“Our programmes are for our people irrespective of their tribes and background. All the innovative agendas that we have in the pipeline will be enjoyed by all irrespective of tribes or creed and there will be a quarterly interactive session with all stakeholders.
“For our legislative responsibility, we are going to sponsor bills that will result in landmark and quality representation which in turn will engender good governance that will brighten the future of all.
“We are going to promote empowerment programme which is going to promote education and employment. We shall support education at all level by providing exercise books for primary school pupils and a scholarship programme for the students in secondary school. There will also be employment through job creations, skills acquisition, promoting agriculture and investment in small-scale business”, he stated.
Oyenuga’s Philanthropic Gesture :
Stating his efforts in impacting on his community and people before the advent of his political aspiration, Mr. Oyenuga stated:
“We have been paying tuition fees for more than fifteen students in Lagos State University, sponsoring less privileges in the acquisition of different skills with the consent of their parents and providing them necessary equipment after graduation.”
He has also successfully sponsored the establishment of Small Scale Business for more than 20 youths in his constituency and also gives stipends to widows, less privileged and others in need
As a lover of sports, he stated that he had “sponsored seven youths to actualize their dreams of being professional footballers outside Nigeria and also sponsored the procurement and installation of a transformer at Igbopa town in Ijede LCDA.
He also completed the Imota Youth House from foundation level in less than three weeks and has been sponsoring the grading of some bad roads in Ijede while he also sponsored the repair of the Ijede Central Mosque.
He also provided borehole water facilities for the Divisional Police Command in Imota and donated two sets of wet batteries, a computer system and a printer to the LNSC in Imota and also sponsored an Empowerment programme at Igbogbo during the 2018 Igbogbo Youth Day.
Alhaji Taiwo Adekogbe, PDP Chairman in Ikorodu Local Government, while speaking at the campaign flag-off, stated that the party is ready to work and ensure that all its candidates emerge victorious in the coming general elections.
While appealing to the people of Imota and other electorates in Ikorodu Constituency II to vote for the PDP candidates in all elective positions, Sen. Seye Ogunlewe, who was represented by Alhaji Issa Gbadamosi, appealed to Lagosians to free themselves from the ruling party’s bondage.
He described the large turnout as unprecedented in the last 20 years of the opposition campaign in Ikorodu Constituency II.
“It’s time for Lagosians to free themselves from the APC bondage and chart a new course for the state. In case you don’t know, all the three senatorial candidates are from Ogun State so also are their governorship and deputy governorship candidates. Does that mean we don’t have capable Lagosians?.
“We have to tell them that we are no fools in Lagos. We must vote for real Lagosians and ensure that they all emerge in all the elective positions come 2019”, the former Minister for Works stated.
Mrs Popoola Omotolani, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, also declared her support for all the candidates of the party while presenting herself to the electorate as the PDP flag bearer for the Ikorodu federal Constituency seat.
Mr Mukaila Ajagun-Lamina, the Ikorodu Constituency I candidate for the State House of Assembly, in his own remarks, called for a new order while appealing to members present at the Imota campaign to mobilize their households and friends to vote for the PDP candidates.
The businessman cum politician also commended the party for the large turnout which he described as a sign that the opposition party is ready to take over power.
The candidate shocked hundreds of his supporters and others when he mounted the stage to performed alongside Dare Melody among other musicians that graced the event.
His performance made the already charged atmosphere went wild as his supporters screamed and danced to his songs.
PDP Accepts About 100 APC, SDP Members
The Imota mega campaign also witnessed the acceptance of members from other political parties into the PDP’s fold. About 20 members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and fifty members of the APC across the three councils – Imota, Ijede, and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDAs in Ikorodu Constituency II decamped to the major opposition party.
While accepting the decampees into their fold, the PDP Chairman stated that their defection is a sign that more people are tired of APC’s government and they are ready to align with a new order.
The APC decampees were dramatic about their defection as they publicly destroyed their brooms, the symbol of the party, to show their disaffection towards their former party.
