Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Agege Local Government Area and Orile Agege Local Council Development Area have unanimously endorsed Abdulganiyu Vinod Obasa and Akinola Idowu’s bid to contest for the chairmanship of the respective councils in the upcoming July poll.
They also urged Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, to throw his weight behind his son’s aspiration.
This was the outcome of a recent meeting attended by Hon. Wale Ahmed, a member of the House of Representatives; Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo who represented Agege Federal Constituency in the Eighth National Assembly; Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments and Training; Hon Tajudeen Afolabi, Special Adviser, Political, Legislative & Civic Engagement to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Richard Oshungboye, former chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Commission.
Among other attendees are the incumbent chairman of Agege LGA, Hon. Ganiyu Egunjobi; his Orile Agege LCDA counterpart, Hon. Johnson Babatunde;
Agege LGA vice-chairman, Hon. Gbenga Abiola; Hon. Jubril Abdul Kareem, Member, Lagos State House of Assembly; Chief Safari Adaranijo, octogenarian party leader; Alhaji Tunde Disco, chairman, APC Agege chapter; Hon. Salaudeen Olaniyi, Orile Agege APC chapter chairman,
and former Agege LGA chairmen, Rotimi Adesina and Chief Owolabi Dada.
Speaking on behalf of the community and party leaders, Egunjobi, Executive Chairman of Agege LGA, said the leaders resolved to support the younger Obasa’s chairmanship bid because he has all the professional and political bona fides to occupy the seat, and to give the younger generation a shot at leadership.
According to him, “Our agitation stems from the indisputable fact that Vinod has the professional and political experience, exposure, education, and capacity to take Agege to a new height, given his outstanding involvement in grassroots politics and community service over the years.
“He is also a very well-educated young man with first and second degrees in Accounting and Finance from universities in the UK, and currently a PhD. student at Babcock University. Also, Vinod is not lacking in experience, having worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and Providus Bank before moving to Parallex Bank, where he left as the Head of Performance Management and Strategy to start his own business, an emerging force in real estate and farming.”
Egunjobi added that the younger Obasa’s football academy, VINOD FA, run by his Kings Sports International, is impacting the community positively. “I know that over four footballers from his academy in Agege here are currently in Europe on the verge of signing professional contracts. So, we have another Kunle Soname of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council on our hands. Therefore, Vinod needs all the encouragement he can get from us and his dad,” the council chair added.
The two-term chairman of Agege LGA declared that Vinod’s political vibrancy and youthfulness are consistent with what currently prevails in the council’s administration, saying, “How old was I when I became the Council Chairman eight years ago? The two vice-chairmen who have worked with me are also young men.”
He added, “We consider our earnest desire to have Vinod as our council chairman as a way of rewarding the numerous humanitarian endeavours of the Speaker in Agege land and beyond. Obasa has removed several families from poverty by helping them to get jobs in the civil service and political appointments; and for most of us, this is payback time.”
He concluded, “It’s our heartfelt wish that Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa rescinds his opposition to our collective desire to make AbdulGaniyu Vinod Obasa our next council chairman.”
Egunjobi described Idowu, the Orile Agege LCDA aspirant, as a dedicated leader with experience in community development who had developed a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of his community.
However, sources say Speaker Obasa has insisted that there must be a level playing field for every aspirant at the upcoming polls.
