Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-As team candidates beat electorates 4 – 3
Residents who are mostly youths and candidates across political parties in the forthcoming General Elections in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, on Sunday, December 11, 2022, took an important decision towards a peaceful campaign and election proper.
They gathered to agree and pledge their total commitment to a violent – free election, at a football game organized by The Ikorodu Ambassadors Group tagged, ‘Peace Novelty Match’, between candidates and the electorates’ teams.
The match took place at the Fun Factory, Itamaga, Ikorodu, with the Team Candidates defeating Team Electorates 4 – 3 in the very entertaining match, which Alhaji Kola Akinsanya, President, Grassroots Sports Development Association (GSDA) and a Safety Ambassador, was the Match Commissioner.
At the football match, participants accepted to engage in peaceful campaign and ensure that there is a violent = free election, in a pledge administered by the representative of the Ikorodu Ambassadors Group, Prince Adeyeri Waliu.
The victorious Team Candidates managed by the Reporter – in – Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, Kunle Adelabu, included Mr Idowu Olaiwola Adeleke (AA), Mr Ogunnote Bukola Iyabo (AA), Mr Oguntola Ayodele (ADP), Hon. Samson Sulaimon (ADP), Mr Azeez Gbolahan (ADP), Mr Junaid Muyideen Olasunkanmi (NNPP), MAderibigbe Adekunle Rasaq (NNPP) and Mr Onibudo Sodiq Abiodun (NNPP).
On the team sheet of the Team Electorates coached by highly revered scholar and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative (IDYI), were: Comrade Lateef Sholanke, Coordinator, Ikorodu Ambassadors Group, Hon. Abayomi –Bork Shamusideen Ayanlaja (Omo Adugbo), Com. Fatuga Rasheed Adedeji, Com. Kutere Razak Babatunde, Com. Fatai Idris (Coordinator, NYCN Ikorodu LGA), and Mr. Amure Ahmed (Wasmed).
In his remarks, Com. Sholanke Lateef (Arizona) commended candidates and electorates that honoured the invitation to participate in the event staged in the interest of the Ikorodu Division.
He said that the match was a practical way to demonstrate peace which the Group has been preaching and charge everyone to engage peacefully in the build up to the 2023 elections and also during elections.
“Since the Ikorodu Ambassadors Group usually preach peace, we decided to display in practical term what we have been preaching since the general elections are coming. That is what we decided to bring together all the candidates in lkorodu division and youth stakeholders to come together and have fun through this novelty match”, Comrade Sholanke said.
“Through this, we are creating a peaceful atmosphere to engage and advance the spirit of sportsmanship among the candidates and the electorates because elections should not be a do or die affair.
“With this game, electorate out there will be able to see their candidates from different political parties playing and winning together. This would send a positive signal that they are not in to the election for violence and this is what we want in the coming elections in Ikorodu”, Coordinator, Ikorodu Ambassadors Group charged.
Alhaji Kola Akinsanya, speaking with THE IMPACT, thumbed up the organizers of the event for promoting peace among the candidates and voters.
“This is a very great initiative seeing candidates across various political parties coming to play together. Thump up to the organizers. I love the drama that I have been seeing on the field. This is a way to promote what all of us have been craving for, peace”, said Alhaji Akinsanya.
“Our campaign must be peace for today, tomorrow and forever. As a Safety Ambassador, I support the initiative for peace.
“This is a way of promoting discipline among the candidates and the electorates. Our youths must know that they are leaders and if we can get it right from here, it means that we will get it right in the 2023 elections. We have started somewhere and I am sure that we will end up on a good and brighter note”, Alhaji Akinsanya said.
Alhaji Samsideeen Yusuf, former chairman, All Stars Football Organization, Ikorodu, in his own remarks, said:
“It’s a good initiative because all along, people have been canvassing for this kind of things to happen and thank God that is happening here in Ikorodu. Ikorodu is always on top and I believe it will go well”.
The Ikorodu representative on the Board of the Lagos State Sports Commission who coached the Team Electorates, Dr Abiodun Fatai Abatan, commending the initiative, said that the organisers have set a good platform for peace to be achieved.
“Let me start by appreciating lkorodu Ambassadors for staging this kind of a program, because today’s event has set up opportunity to interact with one another, particularly bringing the political parties’ candidates together to see that election is not a thing of violence and that, it is not a do or die affairs. After election, there’s a lot that we can still do together, and I want to believe what we have seen from the candidates in terms of attitudes and behaviors towards one another. It’s an indication that we are promoting harmonious relationship and peaceful government”, Dr Abatan said.
“I want to believe today’s effects will rub off on the 2023 poll, assuring that they see themselves as partners in progress rather than enemies.
“From what we have been able to see today, we have been able to see indications that we are going to have a violent free and peaceful election. We are creating an enabling environment for the candidates to interface with one another and making them know that they are going into office to serve us and we can only achieve that in a peaceful atmosphere”, Dr Abatan said.
Mr Abdulsalam Abdulkareem, Chairman, NNPP, Ikorodu, also welcomed the initiative, stating that:
“It’s a welcome initiative. This is the first time that this is happening and I want to believe it can turn into to a bigger thing if we can embrace it”, he said.
“It’s a beautiful outing and all went well.
“Let us just embrace and accept that peace is the most important thing. If we have it and at the end of the day, we will continue to say thank you to the Almighty God. Let us just embrace peace”, he charged.
The Action Alliance (AA) candidate for the Ikorodu Constituency I seat, Mr Idowu Olayiwola Adeleke, also speaking, said that the match was designed to promote unity.
“I think it was planned to make sure that there is unity; that there will be violence – free election, and there will not be any problem before and after the election. That is the goal and objectives of holding this important game and which I think this has actually been achieved and I thank God for that”, he said.
“It’s a good initiative bringing the electorate and the candidates together. This match has provided the electorate the opportunity to know who they are going to vote for in 2023 election. I think this is a very good idea for that”, he added.
Mr Onibudo Sodiq Abiodun, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the Ikorodu Constituency II seat, Lagos State house of Assembly who said that he enjoyed the game, also commended the idea.
“Well, I find the game very interesting. I really enjoyed myself. It is a great idea to bring about initiative like this which is promoting peace towards the coming elections in Ikorodu. You know that election is sentimental thing, and we all have our own passion towards our candidates, but then, we should also respect the integrity of other candidates as well. This is how to bring about peace and love in the election, that is why I really appreciate this initiative and really appreciate it”, he emphasized.
Onibudo also charged that more of initiatives to promote peace and cordialities among candidates and electorate should be promoted.
Contender for the House of Representatives on the platform of the PDP, Mr Awesu AbdulAzeez Adekunle, who also came to identify with the initiative, described the novelty match as very necessary to bring about harmony among candidates on one hand, and candidates and electorates on the other hand.
“This is very necessary to foster good relationships among parties. This initiative is also affording us the opportunity to see each other physically apart from the images that we have been seeing in posters”, he said.
“In this game, electorates were able to see their candidates and vice versa.
“It’s a very good one and initiatives like are really needed to bring about peace and encourage free and fair elections”, Awesu said.
A former APC aspirant for the Ikorodu Constituency II seat, Mr Hameed Olalekan Aroyewu (HOA), called on the political parties and various group in the division to work with the Ikorodu Ambassadors in escalating the gains of the initiative all around.
He commended the organizers while also charging candidates to preach peace and act in good conducts throughout the electioneering period.
Mrs Ijeoma Blessings Nwobodo, Proprietress, Victory Joy School, Ikorodu, also commending the initiative, said:
“This is the best concept so far, as both the electorates and candidates are now aware that they have to approach the election with peaceful conducts”, she said.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity given to me today to watch and enjoy this match in this kind of atmosphere”, she added.
