Isolo chairmanship race: Olojede launches campaign outfit, gains more support

By Damilola Kushimo 

With the launching of his campaign programme and open declaration of his ambition to contest for the chairmanship of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), last week, the incumbent Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Hon. Emmanuel Olojede, has finally thrown his hat into the chairmanship race.

Since its inauguration, the residents of Ilasamaja Ward have continued to seek support for Olojede with their slogan ‘Ilasamaja Lokan’ mantra, claiming that Ilasamaja is supposed to produce the next council chairman.

According to the community leaders who have been rallying supports for their candidate, the ward is the most populated of the seven LASIEC wards in the council area with 26.2 percent of the polling units (44), claiming to be the powerhouse of votes in the council area.

They also claimed that the ward has not hitherto produced any elected political office holder either at the federal or state levels, not even at the local government level except for councillorship, which is customary, saying the situation has contributed to the perceived underdevelopment of the ward hence, the agitation for the chairmanship of the local council.

While declaring their support for Olojede, the stakeholders in the community said they have agreed to make him their consensus candidate to avoid conflict of interests which had affected them in the past.

It is noted that the incumbent chairman of the council, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye also has an interest in the candidacy of Olojede whom he has been drumming support for.

Speaking on the community support for Olojede, the Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Ilasamaja Divisional Police Station, Elder Tundeola Falujo who also doubles as the Chairman Onikonga Community Development Association (CDA), said Ilasamaja, despite having most of the vote cast in the council area with its larger population, it has not produced a council chairman due to unseriousness.

He noted that the community had been so divided on the choice of aspirant “but now we talked to one another that we want a single candidate who is Hon. Emmanuel Olojede and that’s who we are rooting for.

“We’ve tested Olojede to be a consummate candidate, so disciplined. He has listening ears, he is so submissive. He’s been in the system and he has the experience. He has proven to be so responsible and people in the council have also testified to this. So, we feel if he happens to be in that office he won’t be partial, he will greatly serve the interests of all in Isolo LCDA.”

Meanwhile, his campaign DG, Hon. Engr. Tunbosun Oyegoke who is the incumbent LGA APC party secretary has said that  the contest is open to all aspirants.

Olojede is the incumbent Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Isolo LCDA, and had served in several capacities since 2003 when he reportedly stepped down for Hon. Adeola Ajatta whom he contested the position of Federal House of Representatives.

He has served as Special Adviser (SA) on political matters to the pioneer chairperson of Isolo LCDA, Hon. Modupeola Oseghale; SA to Hon. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef when he was the SA Political to Governor Babatunde Fashola; Chief Protocol Officer 1 to Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye during his first tenure as the council chairman and currently serving as the SLG, Isolo LCDA.

Olojede is the only aspirant to have officially declared his intention to run for the office of the local council chairman, others rumoured to be in the race include the incumbent Vice Chairman of the Council, Hon. Bayo Olasoju, the Council Leader, Hon. Remy Shittu Remy; the former House of Representatives member, Hon. Akeem Muniru; the former councillor who represented Akinbaiye Ward, Hon. Shakiru Adeola.