Kunle Adelabu
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ikorodu Constituency I, Lagos State House of Assembly, Prince Oluwatoyin Gafaar “Bolowotan”, has urged Lagosians to repay President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with their votes in the forthcoming General Elections to make up for the 2023 electoral loss.
Bolowotan stated that the 2027 elections offered Lagosians the opportunity to correct the loss of Lagos in the 2023 elections when President Tinubu lost his base to the Labour Party.
The sports – loving politician who spoke during the community engagement initiative of Rep. Babajimi Benson in Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Monday, also said residents of Ijede must record at least 25, 000 votes in the coming elections to repay elected representatives from Ikorodu and empower them to do more.
At the grassroots engagement held at the Ijede Town Hall, were Rep Babajimi Benson, representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun (AMA), representative of Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo -Alogba, Chairman, Ijede LCDA, Ogboni Faud Oki, APC chieftain, Alhaji Fatai Lasisi, Commissioner, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Mayor Muhydeen Sanwoola, Executive Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State and Pastor Olawunmi Ajetunmobi, General Secretary, APC apex body in Ikorodu Division among others.
“Why we are here is very fundamental and I must say it even though our people might not like it. We have disappointed Asiwaju (President Bola Tinubu) very well. We did not measure what he has done and he is still doing for us with what we did for him (in the 2023 general elections).”
“We made him a laughing stock among his peers. We failed and were unable to win Lagos for him and this time around, we owe Asiwaju greatly. We have to work assiduously to see that we right the wrong that we have done to him.
He emphasised that the need to improve on election results led his party to partner with the CDC/CDA to effectively mobilise the grassroots to vote for the APC.
“Now, we are back to the CDC and CDAs and every politician also belongs to a CDA/CDC and invariably, we are also members of the CDA/CDC and it is very important for us to take the bull by the horns and boast that we have the votes and that we are going to deliver in the coming elections, and deliver we will.”
Bolowotan also charged the community developers and the entire people of Ijede to use their votes to show appreciation to elected representatives for all that they have done and also at the same time use such as a bargaining power to demand for more.
“Even if I have not done anything in Ijede, AMA (Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun) and the council chairman have done a lot for us here. Rep. Babajimi Benson has also done a lot that we can point at and the only way for us to appreciate them and ask for more developmental projects from them is to vote for them massively.”
“We have pledged to deliver 250, 000 votes to Asiwaju and it is not a joke. It is an undertaking that we must realise. We have 144 CDAs and 48 polling booths in Ijede and it shows that the people that are benefiting from AMA, Council chairman, Hon. Babajimi Benson and Abiru’s gestures are yet to repay their kindness and impactful representation.
“Let us troop out en mass in the coming elections to vote and we must at least have 25, 000 votes in Ijede LCDA. This is the only way to get more from the council, AMA and Hon. Benson, because, we have used our votes to empower them and let them have have good bargaining strength with the powers that be.
“It is your votes that will give them the influence that they need to ask for projects from Mr Governor and others. With our votes, we will make representation easier for them because we will be empowering Hon. Benson and Sen. Abiru to do more for us.”
