Kunle Adelabu
-Says APC Presidential candidate is detribalized
Members of the gbo community in Ikorodu, on Wednesday, pledged their support to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that they are happy with what the party has been doing.
Chieftains of Ohaneze, Igbo Assembly and others that converged on Apeka, around the lkorodu High School area where the Ikorodu home of Chief (Col.) Reuben Nwako (rtd.), the Omobowale of Ikorodu Kingdom, is located, also described Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of the APC, as a good father and destribalised Nigerian.
Some of the notable lgbo chieftains in attendance were Chief G.C. Godwin Emahun, Chief Simeon Umeh (Baba Food), Chief Echi Obi and Nze Ibeh Onyika.
Elders and representatives of the Igbo community in Ikorodu Division, made the pledged on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, when the APC Ikorodu Divisional Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2023 General Elections, visited them to solicit their support for the party, in the February 25th and March 11 polls.
While welcoming the APC team, Chief Nwako said that those present were representatives that will disseminate messages passed, onto their various communities in the division.
The Igbo leader, who said that his people are happy with APC, especially Tinubu and Rep. Babajimi Benson, further asked the federal lawmaker to ensure that his representation in terms of roads facilitation and other projects get to other areas when re – elected.
“What you are seeing here is not the total number of Idigbo in Ikorodu Division. We selected people from the LCDAs and Ikorodu Local Government. We invited Ohaneze in all communities, and whatever message they get here, they will pass it on whenever they hold their meetings between now and Saturday”, Chief Nwako said.
“I must thank those that are here today. When they heard that Jimi Benson will be here today, they called him Julius Berger. People are happy with you because of the roads that you have been facilitating, but there are still other places you should remember.
“We have over 500 families in this estate. There are some other places too that are also in need of your presence, and I will send them by text to your phone because these are things they requested that I should present when you are here.
“Some of them are also pleading for loans to do business, returnable with interest. If you can arrange that for few of them and they start paying back which Asipa (Kaoli Olusanya), is aware of through a scheme, because his signature brought the money out of the bank”, he added.
“I must thank everybody that came. In fact, if you go to Ladega, Allison and other places, they had to close their shop today because they are coming here”.
Speaking about Asiwaju Tinubu, the Igbo leader said that some of the students that emerged one day governor in Lagos State, a programme initiated during the Tinubu’s administration in Lagos, were Igbos.
He also said that the Presidential hopeful is the only person that gave Igbos and other tribes the opportunity to serve in his cabinet.
“We know that Asiwaju has been a good father, and if we start listing what he has done, we might not leave here today. There was a time he started this competition for one day governor and during that period, there were some of our children that won and they became one day governor”, he recalled.
“He also appointed non – indigenes into his cabinet which you can’t find in other places because I don’t think any state has put non – indigene in their cabinet.
“Ikorodu people are very kind to us and very accommodating. We are living here and doing our businesses and if our houses are leaking in Ikorodu, we have to patch where we are living. We can’t go and patch another man’s house”, he added.
“I assure you sir, that Ndigbo are happy with the APC, Jimi Benson, Abiru. On behalf of Ndigbo, we say thank you for coming and the will of God must happen because all the infrastructures in place, it is not only the Yoruba that are passing through there, but everybody. Thank you for coming”, he assured the APC team.
Another Igbo chieftain, Ibeh Onyika, while speaking, also declared the support of the Igbo for the APC in Lagos.
“We are gathered here to declare our support for our party because we are stakeholders in Lagos. It is here that we have our families, businesses, brothers, cousins and friends.
“We always give our support to the APC and there is no two ways to that”, he added.
Speaking earlier, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Chairman, APC LOC, lkorodu Division, who led the team, informed the Igbo elders and members that they had embarked on the visit on the order of the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Kabir Adewale Shotobi, and the APC in the division, to seek support for the party and all its candidates in the elections.
He pleaded with the lgbo community to vote for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu whom he said has done so much for the Igbos and other tribes.
The APC leader also sought the Igbo support and votes for Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Rep. Babajimi Benson, Mr Ogunleye Gbolahan Adetokunbo and Mr Aro Moshood Abiodun.
The trio of APC candidates – Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, candidate for the Lagos East Senatorial District, Rep. Benson, candidate for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency and Mr Gbolahan Ogunleye, candidate for Ikorodu Constituency I Assembly seat, were also at the parley to seek votes from the lgbo community.
