>
The Senator-elect for Oyo South Senatorial District, Barr Sharafadeen Alli, has urged Mogajis in Ibadan land to follow the direction of the political pendulum in Nigeria and Oyo State by voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, in the March 11 gubernatorial election in the state.
Alli, who was declared winner of last Saturday’s senatorial election for Oyo South by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) noted that this is the only way to guarantee an unfettered access to dividends of democracy at all levels of government.
The newly elected Senator made the assertions while addressing a gathering of all Mogajis from Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West and Ibadan North West Local Governments.
Alli, who is also a Mogaji and Maye Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan land, charged the Mogajis to vote for candidates of the APC in the House of Assembly election.
“Thank you very much for your contributions; in votes, in prayers, in drawing my attention to things I needed to attend to, on the day of my election. I had informed you that I belong to the APC and invited you here to celebrate our victory and discuss about ‘Tessy.’ I apologise for his unavoidable absence at this meeting. He desires to be here, but he’s constrained to be in Abuja right now. He is one of us, he is the Asaaju Ile Ibadan and Mogaji Ile Baale of Oja Igbo. His politics has been mostly in Oyo Central Senatorial District in the recent past, that’s why many of us have not been opportune to interact with him.
“Teslim is a good person, a trustworthy character and a man of his words. This vote is an Ibadan vote and Teslim is from Ibadan with a good pedigree.
“Very recently, you were at a meeting where your presence was not recognised and promises made were not kept. Teslim is not like that. He recognises people and appreciates those who contribute to his cause.
“There are several advantages in voting Teslim Folarin as the Governor of Oyo State. You were aware of the fact that no government constructed more roads than the government of Gov. Ajimobi. This achievement was not based on the FAAC allocation alone. It was by taking advantage of intervention funds available to Gov. Ajimobi as an APC governor on the same platform as the President. Teslim already have the same advantage. Gov. Ajimobi knew Abuja and how to source for those intervention funds. Teslim knows Abuja better than Gov. Ajimobi. He knows the politicsof Abuja like the back of his hand. Oyo State will benefit a lot to have Teslim Folarin as her governor,” he said.
Alli continued: “Let me give you another illustration; Teslim Folarin facilitated the establishment of a 100-bed ‘Mother and Child’ hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State. There are only seven of its type in the whole of Nigeria, which means it can only be given to those that belong. The hospital Teslim facilitated to Ibadan is the only one of its type in the entire South West.
“What is more, after the construction of the hospital, the people who constructed it saw a dilapidated school nearby and not impressed by the state of the school, they constructed 96 classrooms for the school, installed a generator, borehole, constructed a road, street lights, and many more for the school.
“Indeed, we cannot begin to talk about the benefits that will accrue to Oyo State when we have Teslim as governor.
“Furthermore, all three Senators in Oyo State are on the platform of the APC, the same platform of the president-elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the platform Tessy is contesting on. So, I am appealing to you, my colleagues, the Ibadan Mogajis, vote Teslim Folarin and the APC on March 11. Vote all our House of Assembly candidates too. Besides, we are the authorities in our households, let us use our mandate appropriately for Tessy and the APC towards the March 11 polls.
“As you are aware, I am the Akogun of Ibadan land and the Maye Balogun of Ibadan land. Teslim Folarin is the Asaaju Olubadan of Ibadan land, Senior Chief Akinade Fijabi is the Ikolaba of Ibadan land. Alhaji (Dr) Isiaka Kolawole is a Mogaji, so also is Chief Sina Alabi. There are many trustworthy men of high calibre and pedigree in our party, l challenge any other party that has the same or higher pedigree and caliber to show-case it. APC is unique
“So, as we have shown, we are part of you. You are the closest to the people and you understand what we mean when we say the present administration in the state has killed local government administration. It is the same laws that Gov. Ladoja operated with, that Gov. Akala used, that Gov. Ajimobi implemented and local governments strive during their tenure, the present administration got there and turned everything upside down, saying he gave them N10 million monthly and they couldn’t account for it. Meanwhile, both the government and the local councils knew why they couldn’t account for it.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will preside over the most unprecedented time of development in our Country. You were aware that he brought Enron, a power generation Company, to the country when he was governor of Lagos State, but it was not allowed to function. Imagine, if we have had independent power generation since then, would we be having the power supply challenges we are having today?
Tinubu assured us there won’t be strikes in our universities anymore and that he would remove subsidies and put the funds on education, health and economy. Fuel prices may initially go up, but it will be for a while, then it will drop again like the price of mobile phones and SIM cards.
“Tessy is well read and educated with a degree from University of Ibadan and a Diploma from Harvard University. He is a thorough-bred Ibadan son on both sides of lineage. He knows the intrigues of Abuja very well and he has all the Senators in Oyo State and the president of Nigeria on his platform.
Vote for him and the APC on March 11, 2023.
A lot of benefits Oyo State urgently needs will be brought home with ease,” Alli said.
Responding, the president, Association of Ibadan Mogajis, Alh. Asimiyu Ariori, encouraged those who did not follow Alli’s lead in the first election to do so this time around, now that it is obvious where the wind is blowing.
APC stalwarts at the meeting include Prince Niran Adeyoju, Alh Omilabu Ghandi, Hon Demola Omotoso, Alh. Kunle Ishola, Alh. Sina Alabi and Alh. Bada.