By Damilola Kushimo
The stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Isolo LCDA have started contributing to raise a total of N25 million to campaign for the party’s chairmanship candidate, Hon. Bayo Olasoju and other councillorship candidates.
Part of the money was contributed during the flagged off ceremony of its campaign for the July 24 Local Government elections held on Tuesday, at Rotary Hall, LSDPC Estate, Isolo LCDA.
The budget and contribution were announced by the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Otunba Jide Oni, explaining that the sum of N25 million has been budgeted for the campaign activities and a fair part of that has been contributed by members of the committee.
Some prominent members of the party such as the Member of Lagos State House of Assembly representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2, Hon. Jude Idimogu, Prince Habeeb Adeshina Farombi donated N500,000 each while, Hon. Mojeeb Adam donated N250,000 and the first executive chairman of the old Oshodi-Isolo LGA Hon. Martins Ayoade Adegboyega announced a N100,000 donation.
Otunba Jide Oni personally donated the sum of N350,000, explaining that it will be shared among all wards in the council area to further heighten the campaign activities in their respective wards beginning from tomorrow.
The ceremony had various political and community leaders in the attendance filling up the 600-seater hall and its vast premises to the brim.
Recall that the party, last week, constituted and inaugurated members of the campaign committee appointing Hon. Jamiu Omotayo and Apos Oluwole Idowu as the Director-General and Deputy Director-General.
The five subcommittees – Finance committee, Contact and mobilization committee, Planning and Strategy Committee, Ethnic Committee and Security committee are headed by, Otunba Jide Oni, Barrister Success Ademiluyi, Hon. Sikiru Adesina, Hon. Sylvester Obi and Prince Agbabiaka Monsuru (Ijoba), respectively.
The former Lagos State Chairman of the party Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale, declared the campaign open, saying the next step is for the party to move from ward to ward to further propagate the candidature of all the party’s candidates.
Ajomale, noting the displeasure of some members of the party due to the outcome of the recently concluded election and the eventual emergence of Hon. Bayo Olasoju as the party chairmanship candidate passionately appealed to them to be calm.
He said it was high time all aggrieved members of the party started working together to achieve landslide victory for the party on Saturday, July 24, 2021.
The outgoing chairman of the council, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye who graced the occasion for a short moment pledged his support for Olasoju and the seven councillors the party is fielding.
He offered his blessing for Olasoju and also called for proper reconciliation by the party leaders, emphasising that some members of the party are still outside and need to be pleaded with to ensure that all forms of intramural rancour are sorted out going into the election.
Olasoju, in his captivating address, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the party and re-emphasised that the council area will experience a tremendous turnaround in his administration.
He explained that within the first 100 days of his administration major roads in the council would be made more motorable, adding that his administration will prioritise the human-capital development of the residents.
He highlighted that the health centres in the council area will function maximally, the youths will be gainfully engaged and the women especially market women will be given financial endowment.
The party chairman, Barr. Gani Bello, described the outcome of the flag-off ceremony as a great success, noting that the party is well prepared for the election.
His words: “It was successful, fantastic. An explosive success. It shows our readiness. It shows our firm readiness for the election given the mammoth amount of party members and electorate that were in attendance and even the commitment of each speaker. I have to commend the committees for the success of this flag-off ceremony. Even the council chairman came and promised to work for the party. He acknowledged that there are still some aggrieved members of the party outside but I’ve appealed to them to let bygone be bygone.
“The campaign has started, it has been formally flagged off and we’ve received donations. The five committees have been replicated in each of the wards and they’ve started working. What you saw today was the product of three days so, if we are going to work for three weeks, you can imagine the success we will record.
“We look forward to 95% victory in each polling booth. PDP has no chance at all. They cannot win any position. We are cruising to victory come July 24. As good sportsmen, it’s fine to have them join the race with us. It will be on record that they contested against us and lost. I hope they will handle their defeat like sportsmen will do. We are taking every available seat.
“Members of the party and the residents at large should look forward to this new government. We will hold him to his promise. He said in the first 100 days most of our roads will be facelifted and he said he will make councillors work, he said he will hold a parliamentary meeting which will involve the meeting. We have great things to look forward to. If he fulfils these promises, of course, he has planted himself another four years.”
The carnival-like event which was spiced and rounded up with melodious musical performances also had in attendance other dignitaries which include the Chairman of Mandate Group, Isolo, Prince Monsuru Agbabiaka (Ijoba), former House of Rep member Hon. Jaiyeola Ajatta, Hon. Ladi Ajomale, Chairman APC Ejigbo LCDA Alhaji Fatai Kasumu, Alhaji Mukaila Ajao (Milaco), Chairman Isolo CDC Hon. Segun Olatunde, Princess Olateju Olateru-Olagbegi, Chief Lawrence Akanbi, Eze Ndigbo Lagos State, Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, Former APC LGA Chairman Alhaji Wahab Raji, Alhaji Fatai Abisiga, Hon. Bode Fapohunda, Pastor Funmi Dawodu, Market leaders, wards chairmen and others.