Kunle Adelabu
-Special Adviser to Sanwo – Olu charges Baales, CDAs, other stakeholders on support
Royal fathers in Ikorodu Division have come out openly to declare for the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming General Elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as their preferred choice as the next President of Nigeria.
Their stance was supported by the entire traditional chiefs and Baales across Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, at a Town Hall meeting organized to mobilise residents for the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC), on Monday, January 16, 2023.
At the event, which was held at the Arch. Olutusen Onafowokan main hall, Ikorodu Ultra – Modern Town Hall, and organized by the Ikorodu Divisional Council of Obas and Chiefs, were political leaders, religious leaders, CDC/CDA chieftains, market leaders, party members and other stakeholders
The meeting was attended by His Royal Majesties, Oba (Engr.) Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the First Permanent Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs and the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Ajibade Bakare Agoro, FCA, the Ranodu of Imota, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Oba (Dr) AbdulHakeem Adeoriyomi Oyebo, the Oabteru of Egbin Kingdom, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, the Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba (Engr.) Bashir Shotonwa, the Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba David Balogun Raji, the Eweye of Isiwu, Oba Ahmed Olalekan Ogunnaiki, the Alagura of Agura and High Chief Musediq Alliu, the Regent/Olisa of Ijede.
Also at the meeting, Mr Robert Bolaji, the Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, moving the motion for the adoption of Asiwaju Tinubu as the preferred presidential candidate, said that the former Lagos Governor has done a lot for Ikorodu and Lagos State, and that it’s time to pay him back. The entire royal fathers in the hall supported Oba Shotobi’s stance with their horsewhips which were raised, while chiefs, Baales and other stakeholders in the hall, equally raised their hands and voices to also reflect the support.
Oba Shotobi, expressing his support for the re – election of the Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu and other APC candidates, said that he will never oppose the government of the day on the basis that he wants development for his kingdom.
The royal father charged residents across the division to get their voters’ card to vote in the coming general elections.
“All we are clamoring for in Ikorodu is development and I always pray that I will never oppose development because if we want development, we will not oppose the government in power. I will be among those that will open the new Rice mill in Imota. With this development, we have seen that some of our Baales are saying that some of our indigenous people are getting employed”, Ayangbure said.
“The main issue is the voters’ card, and I want you to go and get your PVCs.
“I want you to remember when our father, Oyefusi (Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, former Ayangbure of Ikorodu), went to vote for the opposition, they didn’t dethrone him, but they did remove him from a certain position. So, we are planning to do the same thing, which is that, any Baale who fails to deliver his community, we, the Kings, will collect his beads from him and keep them.
“As JB (Rep. Babajimi Benson) has said that your performance during this election will be the yardstick that he will use to bring projects and development into your community. So, I am urging you all to go and get your voters card and that is why we brought the INEC officials to this venue today for those of us that are yet to collect our PVC. I was sent a text message here by someone who is telling me that he will deliver his street to Bola Tinubu. He just sent that to me now, which I showed the Special Adviser to the Governor. Can we also beat our chest and say we will deliver our street?”, Oba Shotobi asked.
“I want to use this opportunity to promise the Baales that any community that has the highest percentage of votes in the coming election, myself and the Special Adviser will work for you till you become a King.
“Something happened two days ago which made me very happy, I was with the Governor when he was having a conversation with Asiwaju. During their conversation, Mr Governor told him that I was there with him, then Asiwaju asked him to give me the phone, and we spoke for about 15 minutes. I was asked to be given the phone because we are very weakly known to Asiwaju Tinubu, but now, we are recognised. So, this is an opportunity for us, most especially you the people, to benefit. This is payback time for Asiwaju, so let us talk with the non – indigenes in our community to also to vote for him.
“Let us mobilise our people so that they can collect their PVCs and vote for Asiwaju and also to deliver a good number of votes from the Ikorodu division. The Ranodu of Imota and myself have been telling people in our Kingdomu vbthat we will poll the highest number of votes but are we just going to be saying it with our mouths? We need action to deliver”, the royal father added.
The Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, also urged stakeholders and residents of Ikorodu to get their PVCs and vote for the APC Presidential candidate.
“I thank Ayangburen for organizing something like this, because I know the President of Nigeria is going to visit Imota, he is going to visit the Ikorodu division. Since my existence, I have never heard of a president coming to Imota, but I can say that a President is coming to Imota to commission a project .
“So, I beg you all to vote for Asiwaju so that we can show a sign of gratitude.
“Since the existence of Lagos State, no Ikorodu man has ever become the Governor of the state, and I believe that our time is now by the grace of God, so, we need to make our votes count. I am urging you to go and get your PVC because Ikorodu has the population to win elections”, Ranodu of Imota.
Mr Robert Bolaji, the Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, who was a special guest at the meeting, thanked the royal fathers and other stakeholders for turning out in large numbers for the important gathering.
“I was surprised when I got here and saw so many traditional rulers and chiefs. That alone is giving me assurance, because you, the elderly people usually say that Baale is the husband of the community and if that is true, then, what I am seeing here are Baales who are the owners of votes”, he said.
He charged Baales to work closely with Obas and assured that anyone among them seeking upgrading would get support if he deliver his community in the forthcoming elections.
“Our government is ready to upgrade some Baales to a traditional ruler status, but the ball is in our court and one of the duties before you now is the coming elections. This is one of the things that you can use to fight for your rights and development in your community.
“I plead with you, the Baales, to move close to the Kings for them to move forward whenever they are moving forward.
“The Presidential candidate of the APC is our son and we are not afraid because we know is going to work when he becomes the President and that is because of what he has done while in Lagos State. I believe that anyone who governs Lagos State can govern any country because Lagos State itself is more of a country.
“We all know that our Governor has done well in Lagos State, most especially in Ikorodu division. Imota rice mill, we have not had something like this in Nigeria and in West Africa. Not long ago, the Governor turned the Polytechnic in Ikorodu into a University. He has done a lot of roads and still has more to do. So, if we can give him one more chance, we will all be comparing our Lagos to Dubai .
While also calling for support for other candidates of the APC, the Special Adviser urged Community Development Associations and Community Development Committee (CDAs/CDCs), market men and women and other stakeholders to engage residents to get their PVCs and vote during the elections.
