Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-Receives commendations from party chairman, other chieftains
About 5000 voters’ canvassers operating in the Lagos East Senatorial District have been charged by Senator Tokunbo Abiru on the need to canvass and mobilise adequately for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates to get massive votes in the forthcoming general elections. The Senator spoke with the canvassers from Kosofe and Shomolu last Wednesday.
The canvassers, operating under the aegis of East Consultative Forum (ECF), an independent Campaign Group complementing the party’s voters’ mobilization drive in the Lagos East Senatorial District.
There are over 4,000 canvassers engaged by Senator Abiru to mobilise voters to vote for all the APC candidates in the February 25 and March 11, 2023, general elections.
Similar sensitisation sessions were held for canvassers from Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju Lekki.
Senator Abiru, addressing the canvassers, appealed to them to intensify voters mobilisation exercise across Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Somolu Bariga and by extension, the 98 wards in the 16 LGAs/LCDAs under Lagos East.
According to the Senator, it is imperative for the party to have a large voters turnout that will boost the number of votes for APC, particularly, the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He reiterated that ECF is not in competition with the party, but complementing the efforts of the party in mobilizing voters to vote for all candidates of APC. He added that respect for the party and its structures remained sacrosanct.
“The reason we are doing this is for us to work together and support the party. So, ensure that all the souvenirs given to you are shared. The reason we are doing this is because we want to have enough vote in Lagos state”, Abiru said at the session.
The former bank executive turned politician also recalled how Lagosians have been voting and the need for improvement for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates, including himself, to have massive electoral outcome like never before in the state.
Abiru said that it is important for Lagosians to come out massively and vote for Tinubu in the coming election if they don’t want the north to lay claim to it that they are the one that brought about his emergence as President of Nigeria after the election.
“The northerner always tells us that he (Tinubu) may be coming from our place, but they will have the highest vote for him”, he said while charging canvassers to do more.
“Now, let me tell you, Lagos always have the highest number of registered voters. In 2015, we had 5.8 million voters, but only 800, 000 voted for Buhari. While giving him 812, 000, Kano is delivering 2million, Katsina 1.2 million and Jigawa about 1million”.
He said that it is time for the party to reflect on not just winning elections in the state since 1999, but also the need to know the number of registered voters that are actually voting.
“From 1999, since the time of AD through AC, ACN down to APC, our party always wins Lagos. We always win elections, but we don’t look back after winning the election for us to know how we have done. Whenever we are declared winner, everyone runs to the road to celebrate without looking back. We don’t usually ask ourselves how we won the election and that is my concern. if we can work together, we can do better than we have been doing”, he said.
“In 2019, the total registered voters in Lagos was 6.5 million, but only 580, 000 voted for Buhari, and 739, 000 voted for our Governor. Now, you can see that we have work to do.
“In Lagos East in 2015, the registered voters were 1million and only 182, 000 voted for Buhari. In 2019, we had 1.43 million registered voters in Lagos East Senatorial District, but only 138, 000 voted for Buhari. Can you see?”, he asked.
He also did analysis of registered voters and the number of voters during the 2015 and 2019 elections in Kosofe and Shomolu to show the canvassers that they have work ahead of them.
“Now, we need to find a solution to it. For us to win, we will need to know where we are coming from, and particularly for our leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,… Now, I am begging you, let us do the job, and dance later. This is a serious issue”, Sen. Abiru said.
“We have been winning since 1999, and we are going to win in 2023, but our votes must be significant in the number of votes that would bring about Asiwaju Tinubu’s emergence as the President.
“Election is next week Saturday, and I want to assure everyone here that we have been doing our part and we will still do more. We expect you to also do more on your part too by increasing your efforts in canvassing for votes, so that on the day of election, you will be able to call out the people you have canvassed for”, Abiru further changed them”.
The Party Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi said Senator Tokunbo Abiru has shown that he is indeed a loyal party man, who is genuinely seeking the success of the party at the polls.
According to him, Senator Abiru has strengthened the confidence of the party members through his robust reward system that gets to beneficiaries directly.
He assured that canvassers, who diligently mobilize and ensure that voters vote for all APC candidates, will get the reward as promised by the #DoingGood Senator.
“The Senator has done a lot. He has given to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and we should ensure that we get highest numbers of votes for the APC in Lagos. Senator Abiru has delivered exceptionally well on his mandate in the last 25 months he has been in the saddle.
“I have been to Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL), the first of its kind Innovation Hub in this district that is focused on Human Capital Development of young people. Senator Abiru’s achievements in just two years are just mind-blowing”, Pastor Ojelabi said at the meeting.
Ogboni Fuad Oki, Head of Secretariat, APC State Campaign Council, said that the Sen. Abiru has been representing and assisting the party very well.
“I want to say thank you to our distinguished Senator. Thank you for all you have done. Thank you for moving our community forward. Thank you because you are representing us very well at the Senate. It shall be well with you, and you will not lack anything. I say thank you”, the party chieftain said.
“It is only after February 25th, that we can show him that we appreciate him with our massive votes and on March 12th, when we shall celebrate, that’s when we will be appreciating him more.
“If we have not been seeing the things Senator has been doing, today, the chairman and l have seen it that Senator Abiru is rendering help to us”, he added.
“If we can get like five Senators like Senator Abiru in Lagos, our job will be done easily, because he is one of the people I can call in the midnight and discuss and once it is in the morning, he will be the one to call me and tell me that we can do it. Because of that, if we don’t want to see the anger of God, we need to vote for our Senator and after voting for Senator, you have upheld the party because it is the party you are voting for.
“We conducted polls and the polls results is telling us that the voters out there love your Senator. However, all of us have not done well in leveraging on that love to market our party”, he said.
Chairman, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Mayor Dele Osinowo also charged canvassers, party members and supporters to work harder for the party and get more eligible voters to vote for APC.
He said the ECF initiative and its reward system for members are novel.
“The support the Senator has given to the party is unprecedented in the history of the Lagos East”, Osinowo said.
Alhaja Kafilat Ogbara, the candidate of the party for the House of Representatives for Kosofe Federal Constituency, also charged the canvassers to do more on house – to – house campaign and mobilization for better outing for the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu and other candidates.
Other party leaders in attendance include: Hon (Mrs) Oladunjoye Olayinka, Vice-Chairman, Lagos East APC, Hon Abiodun Aigbe, Lagos APC Treaurer, Hon (Mrs) Animawun Adejumoke, Assistant Secretary, Lagos APC, Dr Murital Seriki, Lagos APC Youth Leader, Ogboni Fouad Oki, Engr. Adekunle Olayinka, Director, Volunteer and Support Group, State Campaign Council.
Also,in attendance were: Hon Rotimi Abiru, Lagos State House of Assembly member (Somolu Constituency 2), Chairperson, Ikosi-Isheri, LCDA, Hon (Princess) Samiat Abolanle Bada, Chairman, Kosofe LGA, Barrister Moyosore Ogunlewe, Hon(Mrs) Kafilat Ogbara, Dr Saheed Oladapo Ibikunle, Hon(Princess) Adebimpe Akinsola, Alhaja Abiodun Ogunniy,i Hon Segun Oladapo
(Oscar) and Hon. Gbenga Nollah amongst others.
