Kunle Adelabu
The Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, Alhaji Lawal Adekunle Sanni, has predicted that the forthcoming Local Government elections will be about the people against the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sanni, who said that the people encouraged him to vie for the position because of his involvement in community development activities, also said that most of the projects being pointed at across the six councils in Ikorodu Division are those facilitated by Rep. Babajimi Benson, representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency and not done by the council administrators.
He spoke with THE IMPACT after his emergence as his party’s flag bearer at the weekend.
“This is actually an opportunity and a further call to service, because if they asked me about this ticket coming to me I would doubt it, but I was told that it has been reserved for me. This may be due to my selfless service to the community, because I am well known in Ikorodu, my people know my community development engagement while others across the Ikorodu Division know me from another that I operate from.
“The call is part of community service, and when I was told that a ticket has been reserved for me, I was like, is politics actually for me? But on the other hand, if you want to serve the community, if you don’t go to the grassroots you can never reach out to the right people.”
The PDP flag bearer explained his focus and motivation further, “Thus, I have no other reason than to accept the offer and to reach out to my people. If you look at it very well for the past eight years, most of the work which has been done in Ikorodu, there are no council chairmen that can come out to say that they are the ones undertaking them. They cannot defend their score cards, because everything is done by Hon. Babajimi Benson. Most of the projects in Ikorodu have been done by him.
“When you come to Ikorodu North LCDA, you will see the hands of Jimi Benson at Agbala and all over the council. The chairman cannot say that he is doing anything. This is why we have decided that we have to come out.
“I stay in Apeka, if you look at my axis, roads there are the worst in the whole of Ikorodu North. I repeat, my place is the worst and it leads to many places, and most of the votes which the opposition always have come from my constituency; my area – Apeka.
“We have Apeka North, Apeka South, and UNILAG Estate and parts of my place zoned to Agbala. We have benefitted nothing and we have never even had a councilor for once from my constituency, not to talk of a council chairman.”
While stating that he is not out to condemn any administration, the PDP candidate also challenges other party candidates to a debate on their programmes.
“Now that the majority of the people are calling on someone like me to represent them, then, this election is not about Kunle Sanni and the votes will not be for me. It is for the masses; the electorate because you can go out there to hear what people are saying at the grassroots and communities which constitute the base of politics for any politician that knows what he is doing.
“And if they say that they have done anything in Ikorodu or are doing anything, let us have one -on -one conversation about their administration with whosoever that they are presenting for the position. Let’s go for debate. I am not here to discredit anyone, but I am stating the facts.”
Speaking on his agenda, Hon. Sanni said that security will be a major priority of his administration. He also mentioned youth empowerment among others.
“In terms of programmes, we are going to focus on youth development, if you look at Ikorodu generally today, illicit drugs abuse has taken over everywhere, but if we engage these youths in productive activities, they will not have time to do drugs.
“We can tackle the problem from the grassroots and I will not work in isolation but work with the security agencies. This will be one of my priorities.
“Security is my major focus and my priority. That is my number one thing that I am going to work on. Ikorodu North is my priority, E1, E2, E3, E4, and B3 are my priority. We all know what is happening in these places.
“We all know that anywhere that you have security in place, investors will come, and if you look at my end there, most of the industries that we have in Ikorodu today that are bringing IGR are from my constituency which is Ikorodu North. So, there is a lot that needs to be put in place.
“Apart from the security aspect, we are going to look critically into youth empowerment. If we can get the youth engaged, by giving them good education, we are also going to give them skilled knowledge, because the way Nigeria is going today, you can’t depend on education alone, you must get them hand work. Let them know if I am a plumber, this is what I can do and this would be part of what our administration does. When you engage them they will know what to do.
“Aside the focus on security and youth, we are also going to look into the welfare of the aged people. Most of the programmes that we are seeing for them are being done by Hon. Jimi Benson, but he is not doing them because he is an APC man, rather, it is because of ‘Bibire” (good upbringing that he had).
“We intend to have a sustainable programme for them because they have served the society and it is now the time for us to serve them, “ the PDP Chairmanship candidate said.
Sanni who is at present serving as the Publicity Secretary of his CDA, charged the electorate in Ikorodu to start holding their chairmen accountable.
“Now each zone (council) must hold their chairman and vice chairman responsible and accountable. I want to be held accountable for anything that happens in the Ikorodu North zone. The representative at the House of Representatives has his own work, likewise, those that are representing us at the Assembly, but the chairmen are closer to the people. Chairmen are in the best position to know what is happening in the zones and the needs of the people and must be available at all times to provide for them.
“The coming election, like I said earlier, is not my election, rather, it will be an election of the electorate versus the ruling party. Kunle Sanni is not going out there to say this government is not good, no, that is not my message: but if the people believe in what they are seeing and getting, just do the right thing.
“I am still in Apeka in Ikorodu North LCDA, and I can never leave the place for another. Apeka is my own Lekki; Agbala is my LekkI; Odogunyan is my own Lekki; Erikorodo is my own Lekki; Adamo is my own Lekki and Isiu is my own Lekki. All I will just say to my electorate is that they should “Jade, dibo, gbe PDP wole” (come out en masse and vote for PDP in the coming elections), that is my message,” he pleaded.
