All roads led to the Acme, Ikeja, the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday as the ruling party in Lagos State handed over flags to its flag-bearers for the forthcoming 12 July Local Government Election.
Party stalwarts and faithful joined the 114 Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship and 376 councillorship candidates for the official kick-off of the council election campaign.
All the candidates shone in uniform attires while their supporters clad in different APC-customised outfits.
Leadership of the Lagos Police Command ensured the party secretariat was not overcrowded. They did a good job in keeping those who had no business in the sprawling compound at outside the venue.
The cheering crowd waved brooms, the symbol of the party intermittently to show their readiness for the campaign exercise.
Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Tajudeen Olusi, led other members of the council including the Secretary, Alhaji Mutiu Are; Princess Sarah Sosan; and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu- Hundeyin and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso led state executive members to the gathering.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, enjoined the candidates to deliver electoral promises to the people when elected.
He appealed to the party members to ensure victory for the party at the poll.
The governor, represented by Mrs Salu-Hundeyin, assured the candidates of government’s support to emerge winners in the election.
He said: ‘The love I have for this party is unquantifiable, I am with all the candidates, this is not just an official flag off, it symbolises the beginning of hard work and dedication. We are solidly behind every aspirant, we are in this together, all will be successful by God’s grace.
‘As we raise these flags today, we are proud and happy. Let us remember our values and principles, we are known for being a progressive movement. ‘We are not only here to win an election, we are here to change the lives of our people and continue the legacy of our President’.
APC Lagos State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, applauded party leaders and aspirants for ensuring peace before, during and after the primaries.
Ojelabi, who noted that the party had done a lot to reconcile aggrieved aspirants, urged flag bearers to continue reconciliation and winning those that contested against them to their sides.
According to him, out of the 475 aspirants that vied for chairmanship tickets, only 57 chairmanship candidates were finally selected.
He urged the candidates to try to meet the needs of the people in education, health, infrastructure development and youth development and other critical areas, if elected.
He said that the party would continue to monitor the performance of all its elected officers.
Prince Olusi urged the party’s flag bearers to work for the people, when elected.
‘This is an opportunity for you to promote the name of our party. It is sad today that those looking for money are many in politics, and not people who really want to serve.
‘The love of our community and society should be paramount to us. Those who vied for the ticket but could not get it, should be patient because there is still time and tomorrow’, he said.
Prince Olusi said grassroots governance is critical, hence the need for office holders at the local government level to take care of the people and impact them.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, reminded the gathering that the 12 July election is a yardstick for what to come in 2027 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be seeking a re-election.
He said the party cannot afford not to deliver.
Obasa appealed to those who lost during the primary election to accept the decisions of the party and support the party’s candidates.
‘The party is supreme; we must stand by the decision of the party. We must obey the party and support all our candidates. We must not fight ourselves’, he said.
Chairman of APC Campaign Committee, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun, who welcomed the candidates, expressed confidence that all the flag bearers would be victorious at the polls.
Balogun, who urged the party’s campaign Local Organising Committee (LOC) in each council area to start rigorous mobilisation of voters, however, cautioned that no campaign should exceed the June 9 deadline, stipulated in the electoral guidelines.
According to him, the LOC should be co-chaired in each council by the APC LGA chairman and the council chairmen.
‘The LOC must work with various groups including ethnic nationalities ‘so that we can achieve great results. Let us move across all the wards and garner votes for the party’, he said
The chairmanship candidates who received party flags included: Azeez Babatunde (Agege); Idowu Akinola (Orile-Agege); Johnson Akinpelu (Alimosho); Adunni Akindele (Mosan Okunola); Lukman Abiodun (Ayobo-Ipaja); Abiodun Ejigbadero (Agbado Oke-Odo) and Idris Balogun (Egbe- Idimu).
Ayinde Akinsanya (Ikotun-Igando); Usman Hamzat (Ifako-Ijaiye); Oluyemisi Rosiji (Ojokoro); Akeem Dauda (Ikeja); Moyosore Adebanjo (Onigbongbo); Segun Odunmbaku (Ojodu); Tunbosun Aruwe (Mushin); Seyi Jakande (Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye); Kehinde Oloyede- Almaroof (Oshodi).
Others are Adebayo Olasoju (Isolo), Taoreed Taiwo (Ejigbo); Babatunde Hunpe (Badadry Central); Rauf Yemaren (Badagry West); Ajose Kumayon); Azeez Kareem (Oto-Awori); Isa Abiola (Iba); Muhibat Adeyemi (Ojo); Rasak Oloyede (Oriade); Lanre Sanusi (Amuwo-Odofin); Olufemi Okeowo (Ifelodun) and Olalekan Akindipe (Ajeromi).
Idowu Senbanjo (Apapa); Jimoh Olawale (Apapa Iganmu); Adeola Adetoro (Eti-Osa); Biliaminu Agunbiade (Eti-Osa East); Kolawole Emilagba (Lagos Mainland); Taiwo Oyekan (Lagos Island); Bola Oladunjoye (Ikoyi-Obalende); Aminat Alabi (Iru Victoria Island); Muibi Folawiyo (Lagos Island East) and Sulaiman Bamidele (Surulere) also received the party’s flag.
The party’s flags were also presented to Ogidan Owolabi (Coker Aguda); Odunayo Oluwafemi (Itire-Ikate); Bayo Adefuye (Yaba); Surah Animashaun (Epe); Wale Anomo ( Ikosi-Ejinrin); Ismail Akinloye (Eredo); Abdullahi Olowa ( Ibeju-Lekki); Rasak Kasali (Lekki); Adedayo Ladega (Ikorodu Central); Ameen Olawale (Ikorodu North) and Sulaiman Kazeem( Ikorodu West)
Others who got the party’s flags are Sunday Benson (Imota); Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba (Ijede); Hammed Aroyewun (Igbogbo Bayeku); Moyo Ogunlewe (Kosofe); Adetola Abubakar (Agboyi-Ketu); Dammy Bada Ikosi-Isheri); Lateef Ashimi (Somolu) and Adedeji’ Omope (Bariga).
