Category: South West

The Directorate of Religion Affairs of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Lagos State, has sensitised Christian leaders in the state in a bid to galvanise more support for the party’s candidates, especially the foremost presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

A parley, held yesterday on the premises of Lagos State Television, was attended by leaders of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and its five blocs, 57 coordinators at the local level, as well as religious non-governmental organisations (NGOs). 

The Director General, Lagos APC-PCC Directorate of Religion Affairs, Chief Oyinlomo Danmole, said the meeting was in furtherance of its task to meet with religious leaders, in order to secure their support and bloc votes for the party’s candidates. 

The former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs said: “The assignment given to us is to sensitise and engage  Christian and Muslim communities to call for their support. What we are doing today is the starting point. We have series of other meetings, but before we go further, the first is to talk to the leadership, the CAN leaders, bloc leaders, local government coordinators and NGOs.”

He added that the party was confident of their support, but the meeting was also pertinent to ensure Lagos was not distracted with national issues, especially the undue Muslim-Muslim sentiment.   

“We know from the meeting of today that they (Christian Leaders) are happy we have not taken them for granted. Though we know in Lagos whether you’re a Christian or a Muslim, they believe in APC, but the problem we have is that national issue is trying to distract the people of Lagos and one thing we are sure of is to tell our people to talk to ourselves that the man whom we are trying to work for, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was the governor of Lagos in 1999, who laid the good foundation for the good governance we are having in Lagos today. He did the blueprint for 20 years and that is what every governor that comes in is following and you too can see what’s going on in Lagos.”

Danmole said the engagement would be taken to the grassroots to get closer to the people at the lower cadre of the community, adding that the Muslim community as well as the traditional leaders would not be left out in the parley. 

The party Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, assured the Christian leaders that the party would sustain the robust relationship with the religious community and keep up with its track record of good governance when elected. 

Ojelabi, represented by the Vice Chairman East, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, urged the religious leaders to spread the gospel of Tinubu and other APC candidates’ aspirations to their members and see to the party’s victory in 2023. 

The religious leaders took turns to charge the party leaders on development, all-inclusive and progressive governance. 

Their demand was better captured by the CAN Chairman, Bishop Dr. Stephen Adegbite, who confirmed that APC was the first of all political parties in the 2023 race to engage the religious body.

He hailed the party for the sense of belonging.

Adegbite said the state chapter of the religious body was not concerned with religious sentiment, but rather the track record of the candidates in the presidential race. 

“Whether you’re a Christian or a Muslim, we want good governance; we don’t mind whoever occupies the office. Let there be good governance in Nigeria. Let us look into people’s track record, and what they’ve done in the past. What they will do if they are given bigger opportunity. This is why for us in Lagos State, the last 23 years have been wonderful. It’s been devoid of sentiment. People that have worked in the state have delivered. We can see the dividends of democracy in Lagos 

“Let us focus on good governance and forget about sentiment. Whether you’re a Christian or a Muslim, you must ensure that you deliver the dividends of democracy this time.”

Also in attendance was the Special Adviser to the governor on Christian Matters, Rev. Tola Adeleke, former commissioner for transportation Kayode Opeifa, Vice Chairman of the party (Lagos Central) Mr. Daramola, Kehinde Oseni, Kayode Oseni. 

Others are Sir Thomas Adekoya, Special Apostle Julius Opasola, Rev. Simon Adekeye, Rev. Dr. Dickson Asaaju, Rev. Bukola Adeleke, Archbishop Adekoya Samson, among others.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged the Federal Government to begin the dredging of major rivers in Nigeria, to curtail flooding challenges.

He spoke yesterday when he received the Presidential Technical Committee for the development of a comprehensive plan of action for preventing flood disaster in Nigeria.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, called for more collaboration between the federal and state agencies towards ensuring that flooding is reduced to the barest minimum.

He said dredging the major rivers would reduce the vulnerability of coastal states to flooding.

The governor stressed that the Federal Government should note that Rivers Niger, Benue and Ogun, among others, overflow to states close to them once they rise.

Leader of the Presidential Technical Committee Dr. Godstime James explained that the committee was established by the presidency following the flooding incidents recorded in 2021.

According to him, the committee is to check each state’s policy on flooding, establish causes of flooding and come up with solutions and strategies to minimise the impact on the people.

Permanent Secretary (Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources) Lekan Shodeinde said Lagos had always executed plans to ensure the state did not experience flooding based on the awareness that the state was affected by coastal, river and urban flooding.

He appealed for a better synergy between Lagos and the Federal Government to ensure flooding is controlled with little or no impact on the people.

Osun State former governor Adegboyega Oyetola yesterday inaugurated Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in Osogbo.

Loyalists of ex-governor Rauf Aregbesola were included in the campaign council 

They are ex-Osun House of Assembly speaker Najeem Salam and former chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Adelowo Adebiyi. 

Oyetola, the state Coordinator, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, urged the newly-inaugurated members to intensify efforts towards ensuring all round victory for the APC presidential candidate and his running mate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima and all APC candidates in the forthcoming general election.

He said no stone would be left unturned to ensure the victory of Tinubu and Shettima as well as all the candidates of the party in the national and state assemblies’ elections.

Oyetola said: “Considering the love and support the people of Osun showed us and our party on July 16 and even afterwards, I have no doubt that our party, the All Progressives Congress, remains the party to beat in Osun State.” 

The acting state APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, enjoined the party’s loyalists to begin door-to-door campaign and mobilisation of people, to ensure they troop out en masse to elect and ensure victory for the party.

House of Assembly Speaker Timothy Owoeye said: “In 2019, the Supreme Court gave its final verdict on July 5, affirming the victory of Oyetola as the governor. If you know them, go and tell them that before July 5, 2023 Oyetola will be returned as Osun governor.

“They thought they could manipulate the results of the election in their favour, but we thank God that the results of the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) exposed them.

“So, please, the presidential election is very important to us and we want you to begin to mobilise our people to vote massively for our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, his running mate, Senator Shettima and other candidates of our party.”