By Damilola Kushimo
Ahead of this weekend’s primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC), one of the leading chairmanship aspirants of the party, Hon. Mojeeb Adam, has expressed his optimism of defeating other aspirants in the polls.
Recall that ECHONEWS had earlier reported that one of the six aspirants; Hon. Fatai Atinshola-Eletu was screened out of the contest leaving Adam, Hon. Bayo Olasoju, Hon. Akeem Muniru, Hon. Toheeb Aregbeshola and Hon. Taoreed Taiwo in the race for the party’s ticket for the July 24 local government elections.
Mojeeb, a former council vice-chairman and the Balogun of Isolo kingdom, while speaking with ECHONEWS at the political meeting on Wednesday where he addressed his teeming supporters, explained that he is confident of victory if the exercise is transparent, democratic and devoid of violence and thuggery.
Adam is one of the three strong contenders for the ticket having emerged as the consensus candidate of the indigenes as supported by the paramount ruler of the Isolo Kingdom, Oba Kabiru Alani Agbabiaka, his chiefs and other ethnic leaders in the community.
He said the supports he has been getting daily are enough indication of victory for him in the party’s primaries if the exercise is free and fair.
He explained that the seeming violence that has characterised some political visitations of his co-aspirants in some wards in the council area discouraged him from having a tour around the wards, urging his supporters to be vigilant and watchful at the polls.
“If it will be through transparent and democratic means, I have hope all over the wards that I will be the winner of the primary. If there’s true democracy they (other contestants) can’t stand me. But in a situation where there will be thuggery or violence, I will not advise my followers to stay there because I wouldn’t want a situation whereby any of my followers will be a victim of violence or attack because my aspiration does not worth the blood of any of my supporters or anybody.
“Yes, I have the fear that the primaries might be characterised by thuggery because we saw what happened during the visitation of my other aspirants to some wards and that is even why I’ve not been going ward by ward to meet the ward leadership instead I humbly invite them over and speak with them in my secretariat. I’m a man of peace and as you can see, my supporters are peaceful and I wouldn’t want them to be victims of violence whatsoever.”
He, however, advised his fellow contestants to shun violence and hearken to the advice of the leaders in the party against violence and respect the party’s supremacy.
“Being the most senior in politics, age and in this contest, they must respect the decision of the leaders who have been warning us that there must not be violence or thuggery in this exercise. if they listen, it will make things easier for the leaders to decide and listen to the verdict of the masses but if they should continue this way, I don’t think it will help our democracy.”
