Kunle Adelabu & Odede Efezino Kenneth (IT Student)
If all the adoption by different groups is anything to go by, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, may be heading for a landslide victory in the coming general elections. The party’s candidates were again adopted and endorsed by all the clubs in Ikorodu.
The clubs and bases, under aegis of United Area Clubs (UAC), endorsed the Presidential, Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and Assembly candidates of the ruling party at the Ita – Elewa Sports Complex, Ita – Elewa, Ikorodu, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
Akogun Olanrewaju Olabinjo, Chairman, United Area Clubs, in his short speech on behalf of the clubs at the event, said:
“We, hereby, endorse Aro Mushood Abiodun, for Ikorodu Constituency II Assembly seat; we endorse Gbolahan Adetokunbo Ogunleye, for Ikorodu Constituency I seat; we also endorse Hon Babajimi Benson, for House of Representatives; we endorse Senator Tokunbo Abiru, for the Senate; we endorse the governor of Lagos State, our brother and our father, Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu, for re – election and we also endorse the Jagaban, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the President”, he declared.
The General Secretary of the group, Comrade Pelumi Olalakan (Rado), said that all the APC candidates, especially the new ones, have no reason not to perform when they get into office.
“About our new candidates, whether they like it or not, they have to do well, because if they fail to do well, we will disturb them and above all, they will have to do well because those they want to take over from, are performing”, he said.
“I want you to be relieved that all your candidates will emerge because Asiwaju has done a great job before now and this is the time for pay back”, he added.
Speaking on behalf of other candidates, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, the Senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, said that the election of Asiwaju Tinubu should be a concern to everyone.
Abiru, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Enitan Olukotun, said that the APC Presidential candidate has shown his capacity while he was the governor of Lagos State, and that he should be allowed to replicate his performances at the national level.
“The matter on ground about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu concerns everyone. We are the leaders in Yoruba land and all over the world and if you check all the presidential candidates, there’s nobody that can meet his standard”, he said.
“When Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, we can point out the good works that he has done. He was the one that drew the masterplan and when Fashola got there in 2007, he executed them. I could remember then that when we were coming to Ikorodu then, it was usually difficult getting home, but if you look at the road now, it is in good shape and we thank God.
“Also in this Ikorodu, if you look at the BRT Bus, before then, the LagBus came, but people are quick to forget things. Then, if you were coming back home, your clothes would be full of dust, but now, we have visionary leaders. When you get to Oshodi now, you will want to snap pictures, that is the place a couple who were celebrating Valentine’s Day decided to have photographs yesterday”.
While calling for a change of attitude ftom the residents towards election, Abiru traced the voting patterns in the state and Ikorodu in the previous general elections.
“Most importantly, it is Asiwaju’s matter that Senator Tokunbo is more concerned about. Once our Presidential candidate emerges, it affects all other candidates and Nigeria as a whole”, he said.
“We have 98 wards in Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator is the one covering Ibeju-Lekki, Epe down to Ikorodu, Kosofe and Shomolu. We have 16 Local Government and LCDAs. In 2015, we had 5.8million registered voters in Lagos State and when we cast our votes, it was not up to 850, 000, where were the votes of other 5 million residents? In 2019, all our votes for President Buhari and Sanwo -Olu were not up to 800, 000, then, we had over 6 million voters”, he recalled.
“In Ikorodu, we have over 300, 000 voters and in the last election, our vote was 40, 000. All these are what is disturbing the Senator and he’is looking for a way to make sure that Asiwaju emerges. For instance, we have 7 million voters in Lagos State and we are going to vote by next week, which is 25th of February, and for us to show our appreciation, we need to get at least 5 million votes from the 7.2 million voters. It is possible and we can all achieve it by working together because there are people that you can talk with in your base.
“I am looking at grassroots here because you are the owners of the areas and every corner and we know that UAC will deliver in Ikorodu and that is why the Senator said that we have to be here to identify with you because Senator does not joke with the UAC
Highlighting what the Senator has been able to do within two years that he was elected to represent Lagos East, his media aide said:
“In Ikorodu that we are in, the senator has built a 40 bed hospital at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology. He has also facilitated 200 solar street lights in the school and in Ikorodu North. Senator has also built another 40 bed hospital at Isiwu, not forgetting that he has only spent 2 years being the senator”, he said.
“If we go to Borokini Street at Aga in Ikorodu, the Senator has built six blocks of classrooms for our children which have sixteen toilets and also a solar system.
“When the Senator emerged in 2021, he introduced the COVID 19 relief support for the vulnerable and people living with disabilities and also the unemployed, the Senator pays them five thousand naira every month and they are up to 2000 and he pays it directly into their bank account.
“If you move to Epe today, we have something similar to this youth center there that is big and has a 960 capacity stadium. At the Oluwo fish market, a popular fish market in Epe, you won’t recognize it again because the Senator has changed how it looked before.
“Also in Epe, if you go to Iwere Primary School, he has built a school in that community.
“If you go to Kosofe at Mascara health center at Akintan Street, the Senator has built an additional 40 bed hospital there and the hospital is now due for usage. At Agboyi Ketu, he has also built a school there. He has also built an ICT center and he is doing something that we have not seen before. We call the place Senator Abiru Innovation Lab. He is a senior banker and after he was elected, he thought of a way to help our people so that they can have true empowerment and that is why he created the lab and all our students, after their graduation, will get a job immediately”.
He also said that the rehabilitation of the Ikorodu – Shagamu Road was facilitated by Senator Abiru.
