Kunle Adelabu
The recently re-elected member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Babajimi Adegoke Benson, has charged residents of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, on the need to record more votes for the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, and other party candidates in the coming Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
Rep. Benson, who addressed hundreds of residents on Saturday at the March 2023 edition of the monthly ‘Apo Anu’ food distribution that he initiated years back, called for a minimum of 100, 000 votes for the performing governor and the two candidates vying for the lkorodu Constituency l and ll seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Residents of Ikorodu will, on Saturday, March 11, go back to the polls with other Nigerians to vote for the next governor of the state and also elect members for both Ikorodu Constituency I and II seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
While the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu recorded 50, 353 votes, House of Representatives candidate, Rep. Benson, garnered a total of 60, 890 votes in the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in held last Saturday.
“Ikorodu today is now the most talked about constituency in Nigeria, because of your votes. I thank you all for the votes. I thank all our leaders, councilors, Baales and our women”, Rep. Benson said.
“During this election, Ikorodu took the number one position by the number of votes cast and for the coming next Saturday’s election, people from Alimosho, Mushin, Ikeja, Kosofe, Shomolu, are planning to displace us because they are not happy that we took the first position which we have not achieved before.
“Let’s us be more determined and increase our force for the coming governorship election on Saturday. We must improve on the 60, 000 votes that we scored in the other election and makes it 100, 000. We have the capacity to do that.
“On Saturday, what we are expecting from Ikorodu is 100, 000 votes for Governor Sanwo – Olu and also for Gbolahan Ogunleye in Constituency I and Aro Moshood in Constituency II. If we can do that, we can increase the Commissionership position for Ikorodu from two to three or four”, he charged.
To motivate the lkorodu electorates for the coming election, the two – term federal lawmaker who was re – elected for the third term about a week ago, reminded residents of the pledges by King Wasiu Ayindee Marshal (KWAM 1), a popular fuji musician and APC chieftain and Ogboni Fuad Oki, also a chieftain of the party, for polling units that perform very well.
“Everyone here today is a canvasser and make sure that after leaving here, you find 10 people and tell them to vote for APC. We have been compiling numbers of polling units with highest votes and they are going to be compensated before Saturday’s election”, Rep. Benson said.
“If you could remember that at our campaign flag-off, KWAM 1 and Fuad Oki, came and pledged to reward polling units that perform very well. We are going to fulfil that”, he reminded them.
“I also pledged during the campaign that we are going to facilitate road or transformer or solar projects for communities that deliver for our party at the poll and by next week, we are going to redeem that pledge to”, Rep. Benson again assured them.
“The governor also asked me to pledge compensation for areas that perform very well and deliver more votes in the next Saturday’s election. If you vote very well, you will be voting for road infrastructure, solar light and transformers.
“With all these, we are sure that our people will deliver maximum votes for our party”.
While reiterating the need to improve on the previous number of votes recorded in the coming polls, Rep. Benson also sensitized the Ikorodu electorate on the need to sustain the new political status of Ikorodu, and also cast votes very well to avoid mistakes which, according to him, denied his party many votes in the last election.
“We are now respected because of our votes in the last elections. We even voted more than 50, 000 votes for the Presidential and 60, 000 votes in the House of Representatives elections, but for wrong thump printing. Many voted for ADC instead of APC, and some also voted between APC and other parties which voided their votes”, he said.
“You should look for the broom which is our party’s logo and thump printed in the box before it. We must go out to canvass and mobilise for the victory of our party”.
At this month’s edition of ‘Apo Anu’, were Dr Frederick Oladeinde, Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Otunba Amidu Oduborisha, President, Oriwu Club, Ikorodu, Council Chairmen, APC chieftains and members.
