Author: The Nation

The gubernatorial ambition of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Adebayo Adelabu has suffered a setback with the chairman of Accord in Oyo State, Hon. Kolade Ojo and Secretary, Hon. Olayinka Dairo endorsing Governor Seyi Makinde for re-election.

Accord said Makinde’s endorsement was borne out of a passion for uninterrupted good governance and conviction that Makinde has performed creditably well to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Oyo State.

Adelabu, who was the 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) decamped to Accord after his failure to secure the ticket of APC.

Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Ojo maintained that the endorsement will bolster accelerated growth and all-round development in the State, adding they are satisfied with Makinde’s achievements in different sectors such as education, health, civil service reform and prompt payment of pension and gratuity, among others.

He said all 32 Accord candidates for the House of Assembly are still in the race, calling on supporters and party faithful to give them necessary support for their resounding victory at the coming polls.

He reiterated that the party structure has not been collapsed but used to support the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) government led by Makinde.

He said: “Following the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections in our dear nation, the state working committee of ACCORD, the 33 local government chairmen of ACCORD, as well as party stalwarts converged on the party office, Aremo, Ibadan to evaluate, brainstorm and chart way forward with a view to proffering workable solutions for the progress and continued development of the pacesetter State.

“At the meeting, which was chaired by Hon. Tajudeen Alimi, ACCORD chairman, Ibadan South East and chairman of the chairmen, we decided the following ahead of the forthcoming governorship and house of assembly elections of Saturday 11th March, 2023.

“Upon many appeals and entreaties by the local government chairmen to right some wrongs, including taking unilateral decisions, a deliberate sideline of ward and local government party executives in the scheme of things and lack of harmonious working relationships by the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the entire party structure expressed displeasure, disappointment and disenchantment for not being carried along as partners in progress and pillars of electoral victory for his candidature.

Read Also : Makinde: Reversing APC gains in Oyo

“It was categorically stated after discreet observation and careful study of events that Chief Adebayo Adelabu prefers to work in cahoot with his few supporters from a former party, thereby institutionalising use and dump syndrome within the party.”

“Adelabu has neither recognition, nor due respect whatsoever for the party hierarchy and this he will sustain should he is elected as governor of Oyo state.”

“Arising from the above, the party executives, including the state working committee, local and ward executives have lost confidence in Chief Adebayo Adelabu as a worthy candidate to be supported for the exalted position of Governor. Charity, they say begins at home thus we would not want him to work at cross purposes with our party unique and lofty ideology which includes, unity, togetherness, development and progress for the masses.

“Going forward, the entire ACCORD Oyo state executives have agreed to form a working alliance with the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde.”

A leading support group of the President-elect Bola Tinubu, the Tinubu for President Action Group (T4PAG) Worldwide, has described the victory of its candidate at the polls as God’s way of delivering Nigeria from its numerous challenges.

The group, in a congratulatory message to President-elect Tinubu, by its Chairman/Convener, Prince ‘Lanre Adegun, noted that Nigerians could not have found a better choice to lead the country out of the current dire straits being faced.

Congratulating Tinubu for emerging victorious, the T4PAG Worldwide, which is spread across all the states of Nigeria and across the continents, said the experience gathered over the years by the President-elect will now become most useful in the task of setting the country straight.

“We never at any moment became distrustful about your capability, capacity, and readiness to take up the mantle of leadership here and now when the country is in multiple challenges. We could not find an alternative person to consider for the highest job in the land. You were, and still are, Nigeria’s only candidate and the only option to salvage Nigeria from her current dire straits.

“We all saw this coming. It is not news that you were returned as the democratically voted president-elect. It is a long-deserved honour for someone who has been tried and tested in a similar but smaller terrain. We all know – including your political rivals, – that you are a true Nigerian without any barrier, the most prepared, and well-equipped to step into these bigger shoes for the job without intimidation or fear.

“Your unique approach to governance, coupled with your record of strong leadership in difficult times, is flawless. A good example was during the time Lagos State’s Local Government fund allocations were stopped by the government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” he added.

Read Also : JUST IN: Tribunal grants Tinubu, APC permission to inspect election materials

Chairman of the support group, Prince Adegun, further thanked his Asiwaju ‘die-hards’ in T4PAG globally; the indefatigable, and enviable group spread all over the world, for their unflinching support financially and largely for their pig-headedness and unrelenting belief in Asiwaju as ‘the best and only option here and now’.

“I say a special ‘thank you’ to our Executive members including all the Coordinators within and outwith Nigeria, and all our members for their awesome assistance. It was a unity of purpose at work. I salute you.

“There was a time we thought we could not survive financially, but our members dug deep into their savings to voluntarily provide the necessary funds needed to keep us afloat as funds never came from anywhere else. You have all made me proud. Thank you for keeping your eyes on the ball.

“Asiwaju is a master strategist, a bridge-builder, and a talent hunter who believes in human capital resources development, teamwork, and inclusive democracy. I can tell you for free that he will deliver on his promises as stipulated in the Party’s manifesto and campaign promises and more.

“We are not done yet as a group; so, watch this space. We wish our President-elect well. So help him God,” he said.

Prince ‘Lanre Adegun’s support for the President-elect stretches beyond his own support group, as he is also the Director-General for Progressives Solidarity for Asiwaju (PSA), and Director, Media and Publicity for Nigeria Diaspora for Asiwaju (NDA).

Picture: President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (left), with the Convener of the T4PAG, Prince Lanre Adegun (right).

Pregnant women and nursing mothers in Lagos State have backed the reelection bid of  Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday.

They gave the endorsement at an event organised by The Special Adviser Office of Civic Engagement Princess Aderemi Adebowale. 

Hundreds of pregnant women and nursing mothers emphasised the need for women to return the current administration.

“We cannot gather here talking about the achievement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu without making mention of the political implication in the upcoming election. We are here today, we pregnant and nursing mothers to endorse our working governor for another term.

“There is no gain in saying, Sanwo-Olu is the only governor in the whole of Nigeria, if not in West Africa that has this laudable program for pregnant women. He is the only one thinking out of the box in terms of security,” Adebowale stated.

While launching the fourth edition of the Mother, Infant, and Child Development (MICHD-2050) Programme, Adebowale said the initiative has a multiplier effect of making Lagos safer by the projected year 2050.

“The Mother-Infant and Child Development MICHD2050 program is an initiative that looks at security from conception to birth, to adolescence and into adulthood.  A nutritional link to the security of Lagos State, with the belief that the best time to plan for “A Rising Greater Lagos” is today. 

“Hence, the MICHD-2050 Project is driven by the notion that when a child’s brain is fully formed, both the child and the State will benefit from adequate and sustainable human capital investment towards having “Civically Responsible Citizens” who will contribute positively to the socio-economic development of the State,” she said.

Read Also : Tinubu, Sanwo Olu ‘to get huge’ votes

The Special Adviser stated that 570 indigent pregnant women will benefit from the new phase of the program for the next 24 weeks starting from their 2nd trimester till delivery. 

“To ameliorate the various health-based challenges encountered by pregnant women, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has therefore provided free health insurance via the ILERA-EKO, the program by the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme (LASHMA). We intend to enlist and deliver a free health scheme to all indigent pregnant women while ensuring regular check-ups and the provision of adequate medications.”

Igba Lani Demokrats (ILD) has kicked off a three-day door-to-door campaign in support of Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy Obafemi Hamzat as well as other candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Saturday’s House of Assembly elections.
ILD, a pan-Lagos socio-political organisation, also preached cohesion, understanding and unity among the party’s chieftains and members to enable APC win Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections landslide at all levels.

This was contained in a statement by the coordinator of the group, Prince Adewale Taorid Ojora.

He said the door-to-door campaign was designed to mobilise grassroots support for Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat and all other APC candidates standing for Saturday’s elections.

Igba Laani Demokrats is a socio-political assembly of like minds exclusively drawn from members of the APC with the purpose of strengthening its support base and promoting progressive governance in the country, especially Lagos State.

The ongoing door-to-door campaign in 10 local government areas (LGAs) under the theme: “Moving forward with Sanwo-Olu & Hamzat,” is aimed canvassing support for their re-election at the grassroots.

Ojora noted that the group had been actively involved in the politics of Lagos State in the last seven years with a strong presence in 20 local government areas (LGAs).

Ojora, former Chief Executive Officer/Head of Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI), further explained rationales behind the door-to-door campaign, saying Sanwo-Olu’s re-election “is equally of significant interest to our members considering the outcome of the last presidential election and the threat by regressive elements to hijack Lagos.”

“At this point, as loyal members of Lagos APC and progressive professionals, we cannot fold our hands and allow these anti-progressive elements to set Lagos on the regressive path.

‘We are doing everything we should to ensure not just Sanwo-Olu’s victory, but also other candidates our party nominated for the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections.”

Read Also : Tinubu, Sanwo Olu ‘to get huge’ votes

With Sanwo-Olu’s re-election, Ojora further assured Lagos residents that progressive governance in Lagos State would continue seamlessly, which according to him, was another reason for activating the door-to-door campaign to canvass support for the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.

He noted that the door-to-door campaign had already started in Lagos Island, Apapa, Alimosho, Ajeromi Ifelodun, Amuwo Odofin, and five other LGAs on Tuesday and would end on Thursday in line with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

He explained that the essence of the door-to-door campaign “is to connect directly with the people and emphasise the need to ensure that progressive governance continues and position the state as an investment destination.

“We decided that the best approach was to move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, ward to ward, street to street, and door to door to convince and motivate the APC members and other residents, who duly registered for the forthcoming elections.

“We are also visiting homes, markets, schools, estates, religious centres and neighbourhoods in the 10 LGAs, where opposition parties are more influential, to canvass support for Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat and other candidates of our great party,” he said.