>
Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, and the state chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Omodewu, have rallied other stakeholders to mobilise their supporters and people from the nooks and crannies of the state to attend the presidential campaign rally slated for next month in Ibadan. to send a signal to the whole world that Oyo State would deliver for APC in the 2023 general elections.
Tyo State is scheduled to hold the APC presidential rally on February 7, 2023, at the ancient Mapo Hall, Ibadan, to herald the electioneering campaigns of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his vice presidential candidate, Sen. Kassim Shettima, as well as other candidates of the APC in the state.
At a stakeholders meeting held at the APC Secretariat in Oke Ado, Ibadan, Folarin called on leaders, members and supporters of the party to prioritise the need for mobilisation of residents to welcome Tinubu, Shettima, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong and other dignitaries who would be on the entourage, sttessing that all necessary action is being taken to ensure a successful event.
“All eyes are now on us in Oyo State because the outside world wants us to showcase our status as the pacesetter and also justify why Ibadan is reputed as the political capital of the South Western Nigeria. Our goal is not only record the largest turn out of people at the ongoing state-by-state presidential rallies being organised to sell the choice of Tinubu/Shettima to all and sundry, but to also establish the basis for Asiwaju to get, at least, 80 per cent of the total votes to be cast in all the 33 local government areas of the state on February 25.
“I am glad we have most of our party leaders here at the moment and I will like to say that we are indebted to people like our immediate past state chairman, Chief Akin Oke, the three former deputy governors, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo and Engr. Rauf Olaniyan as well as other eminent leaders of the progressive in the state who have done so much to stabilise the situation and also position Oyo APC for victory at the upcoming polls. Asiwaju project deserves every sacrifice and seriousness on our part as it is the best way to go for Nigeria to move forward. So, we shall leave no stone unturned to deliver for him.
“We are reaching out to all the aggrieved members of our party and we are ready to engage everyone in meaningful talks because we need each other to achieve success at the poll. We are working so hard because we appreciate the enormity of the task ahead and we shall not rest on our oars. Oyo State must be repositioned and restored to her pacesetter status since the general opinion revolves around the need to sack the current PDP administration and replace it with the APC’s in view of our track record, pedigree and promise,” Folarin said .
In his opening remarks, the APC chairman, Omodewu, said that it has been projected that Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima, would score far more than a million votes in view of the resolve by the majority to go for the best, which the APC parades.
His words: “As handlers of the APC in this state, we must do everything possible to mobilise all voters in the state for Tinubu and Shettima as well as all the candidates of our party. We keep our eyes on the ball and among our goals is to dislodge the PDP from the state.”
Other party leaders present at the meeting are Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, Hon. Segun Odebunmi, Hon. Ajibola Muraina, Hon. Olaide Akinremi, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina, Hon. Olaide Muhammed, Hon. Wasiu Akinmoyede, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, Hon. Soliu Abu Gbadamosi, Alh. Fatai Ibikunle, Hon. Asimiyu Alarape, Engr. Idris Adeoye, Dr. Isiaka Kolawole, Chief Timothy Jolaoso, Engr. Dayo Lawal, Alh. Olayide Abass, Barr. Yemi Aderibigbe, Hon. Bimbo Kolade, Barr. Lowo Obisesan among others.