Kunle Adelabu
It was a case of who owns the land and possesses the real power on Sunday in Solomade area of Ikorodu when young guys in the neighbourhood prevented the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina from exiting the community after he refused to pay them for the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
About ten guys who are based in Solomade had earlier accosted the council boss at the Solomade home of the former Deputy Governor and chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, requesting him to give them money to celebrate the victory of his party, a request which Hon. Wasiu turned down.
Mr Ogunleye Gbolahan Adetokunbo (OGA), the Ikorodu Constituency I representative – elect, had returned with large number of party chieftains and members from Ikorodu office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where he had gone for his declaration and returned as the winner of the election.
Our reporter, who had been invited to the Solomade home of the APC apex leader by Comrade Japheth Odesanya, Director, Media and Publicity, OGA, to conduct a post declaration interview with OGA who was unable to grant same at the INEC, witnessed the scenario as the Council boss was unmoved and ignored the guys as they insisted that he gives them money.
Hon. Adeshia later jumped into his white Lexus jeep and drove away angrily from the party leader’s house to evade them.
While the whole scenario was going on, APC chieftains who were rejoicing with the former deputy governor and his son who is now the Assembly – elect, simply ignored the whole drama.
True to their threats, when our reporter got to the exit gate of Solomade about 20 minutes after Hon. Adeshina had driven off, he met him at the gate as the Solomade guys stood heir ground that he would not move out except he ‘settled’ them. Despite their insistence and shouting, the chairman, whose was conspicuously livid with anger, sat in his jeep and held on firmly to his wheel.
The situation caused a long queue of vehicles as several vehicles which were going out of the estate at the time were caught in the drama as the gate remained shut at the chairman. Many residents and onlookers were seen watching the scene with keen interest.
The threat by the chairman that he would call the former Deputy Governor to report them did not in anyway make the guys shift their ground.
One of the estate guys who spoke with our reporter, accused the chairman of always looking down on them and not responding to their requests.
Hon. Wasiu was forced to return to the APC’s apex leader’s house about 30 minutes later after seeing that he would not be allowed to leave the estate.
When contacted, one of the council political top political office holders who was at the home of Prince Ogunleye, pleaded with our reporter not to report the incident.
We are yet to reach the chairman to hear how he felt with the treatment and how the whole drama was eventually resolved.
