Wale Jagun and Mariam Akinloye
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikorodu Local Government has inaugurated the Directotates and Ward Coordinators of its campaign council with the task of mobilising the grassroots to deliver 350,000 votes for the party in the forthcoming General Elections.
The PBAT-KOH Campaign Council is tasked with coordinating campaign activities in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT), Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat (KOH) and other APC candidates.
At the inauguration held at the Ikorodu APC Secretariat, were party leaders, elected and appointed officials and other political stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the APC Chairman, Ikorodu LGA, Hon. Waheed Animashaun, congratulated the newly inaugurated committee members while recalling the stand of Ikorodu in terms of electoral value in the state and country at large which must be sustained in the coming elections.
While emphasising that the party has been working ahead of the committee’s inauguration, Alhaji Animashaun urged,
”Today is a historical day as it marks the beginning of the journey towards making a political statement and consolidating on an already established record of election performances nationwide.”
”In the 2023 general election, Ikorodu made a statement as the best federal constituency to deliver the highest votes in the presidential election.
In the state, our contribution in terms of electoral value and votes helped the party to win in areas where other local governments were expected to deliver but failed.”
He added for good effects: “We in Ikorodu gained massive attention in terms of electoral value, party organisation and timely delivery, as well as delivering on party assignments.”
”Ikorodu is now a beautiful bride compared to Alimosho, Ojo and Mushin and other areas, and is proudly mentioned as such.”
The APC Chairman also revealed that the party mobilised residents to register and collect their PVCs in preparation for the 2027 General Elections.
”We have done well in the build-up to the important assignment ahead. We came top in party registration membership. We mobilised effectively for the Continuous Voters Registration exercise.
During the first phase of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, we monitored to ensure that the cards reached their registered owners, and we are getting ready for the second phase. This is an assignment we are going to give serious attention, ” he charged
While stating further that polling unit committee has been put in place and regular sensitisation ongoing, Alhaji Animashaun urged the election structure to sustain the efforts
”The election campaign and mobilisation structure, which we are going to inaugurate today, is already in place, and we are all ready.”
”Let the mobilisation task begin across all our seven wards and 232 polling units.
“I urge you all, as leaders to focus on the goal, plan effectively, coordinate and embark on serious grassroots mobilisation while ensuring that peace is maintained.”
He further charged them on unity amongst themselves and cooperation with other members of the party in the course of discharging their duties.
”The importance of working together as a team cannot be overemphasised. It must be a collective responsibility.
Leaders must actively participate, and all stakeholders must be engaged towards achieving our shared objective.
He specifically commrnended the coordinator of the campaign organisation, Hon Oladele. Ogunfodunrin, and the Chairman, Ikorodu LG, Hon. Adedayo Ladega, who is also serving as the co-coordinator of the body for their cooperation.
Senator Tokunbo Abiru, the Senator representing Lagos East who was represented at the inauguration by Alhaji Rilwan Jinadu, a former APC Chairman in Ikorodu LGA, urged the body to be committed towards achieving the targeted results in the coming electiions.
He pledged his full support for the committee.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government who doubled as the Co – Coordinator, PBAT-KOH, Prince Adedayo Ladega, urged members of the campaign council to focus on people in the grassroots for adequate mobilisation.
While expressing confidence in the capacity of the newly inaugurated council, the council boss also maintained that every coordinator must take responsibility for delivering their polling unit.
While stating that the task before the campaign team is highly demanding, the former Deputy Governor, Prince Abiodu Ogunleye, emphasised the need for strategic campaign that will reach the people in the grassroots.
He urged the Hon. Oladele Ogunfodunrin led campaign team to work assiduously in making the party achieve its 350, 000 vote target.
”Our task is to ensure that we achieve the target of 350,000 votes. We cannot afford to take things lightly.”
”When our team goes out to meet people, particularly those that will be voting, we must ensure that we convince them to support us so that we can increase our votes.
Our efforts must produce positive results, and this group must deliver the votes expected of us.”
Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former Minister and GAC chieftain, described the task ahead of the party in winning massively for President Tinubu and other APC candidates as enormous and charged the campaign council to do everything possible to achieve it.
”The work ahead is enormous, and we must be prepared to do what is necessary.
”I want to appeal to everyone because the responsibility ahead of us is enormous. Our Governor has done a lot for Ikorodu. He has continued to support the development of Ikorodu and has given our division greater recognition.”
”Ikorodu is now being considered as one of the major divisions in Lagos State. This means that whenever opportunities are shared across the state, Ikorodu Division must also benefit.”
He emphasised the importance of Ikorodu Division achieving its targeted votes come 2027
”We have been told that if we can deliver 350,000 votes, we stand a chance of getting five commissioner positions. That is an opportunity we must work towards.”
“We also have the opportunity to produce a minister. Constituency II produced the last minister, and it is our turn to work towards securing that position. However, we must demonstrate our strength through the number of votes we deliver.”
Sen. Ogunlewe charged the council chairman, Prince Ladega and the campaign council coordinator, Hon. Ogunfodunrin on the need to maximise the figure of the 130, 000 registered voters in Ikorodu Central to the advantage of party.
Prince Gafaar Bolowotan, the APC candidate for Ikorodu Constituency I, also speaking expressed his confidence in the group to deliver the 350, 000 votes.
He urged party members and residents of Ikorodu in general on the need to vote APC so as to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
”With you, I know that the target is achievable. More importantly, all of us should understand the importance of achieving these numbers.”
”If we want to continue enjoying the dividends of democracy and empowering our representatives, we must try as much as possible to achieve this target.
Yes, it is a tremendous task, but we need to work and work and work. That is the price of hard work, ” he said.
He urged the group to focus on and use President Tinubu and other elected representatives’ achievements in campaigning.
”We can see and feel what our Mr. President is doing and, by extension, what our representatives are doing.”
In his remarks, Hon. Oladele Ogunfodunrin, thanked the party leadership for the trust that they have reposed in members of the campaign team.
He assured the party leaders that they will deliver on the task ahead and exhorted his group members to work commitedly.
”This is the time to work. We have one goal, and that goal is to ensure that all our candidates from the President to the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Senator Abiru, Honourable Jimi Benson (JB), and Bolowotan.”
”Don’t forget that we lost the 2023 presidential election (in Lagos State). That must not happen again.
This time, we must ensure that we win. We must not take victory for granted.”
He added: “The instruction from Lagos is that we should not sit in our comfort zones. We must go down to the polling units and work.”
”Everybody must take responsibility for their own polling unit and ensure that we deliver. Anybody who fails to win at their polling unit has failed in that responsibility.”
