3rd January, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta
The electoral chances of the All Progressives Congress,APC Presidential candidate,General Muhammed Buhari and his running mate, Yemi Osinbajo got a boost Friday as the matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief Mrs Hannah Awolowo endorsed them.
She called on Nigerians to vote for APC at the 14 February,2015 Presidential election, as they set out to challenge President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the top job.
Mama Awolowo made the declaration on Friday when the vice Presidential candidate, Yemi Osinbajo, who also hails from Ikenne paid her a courtesy visit at her Ikenne home.
She expressed her gratitude to God over the choice of Mr. Osinbajo as the running mate of General Muhammed Buhari and sought the support of the people of Ikenne, Ogun State in particular and Nigerians in general to make the dream comes to fulfilment.
According to her, “I am very grateful this morning to see that Yemi Osinbajo is going to higher ground and it is my prayer that he will get there. I urge you all to support his aspiration. God will take you there,” she pleaded.
Mr. Osinbajo eulogised the virtues of the late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo for his contributions to the development of the country, assuring that, his party would not derail in carrying on with the good policies and programmes of the late sage.
“My choice as the Vice-Presidential candidate of our party is a rare opportunity for Remoland, Ogun State and Nigeria. It is God’s divine. Awolowo came out of Remoland to become the Premier of the defunct western region and he did excellently well. It is my utmost believe and prayer that we will do more than him,” Osinbajo vowed.
He said he was in Ikenne, his homestead, to receive blessings from the nonagenarian for a successful outcome at the polls, come 14 Feburary,2015.
He attributed high level of insecurity, unemployment, failure in the power sector and other socio-economic challenges confronting Nigeria to bad leadership, promising that, his party would bring about the desired change in all ramifications.
In Osinbajo’s entourage to the Awolowo’s house were his wife, Dolapo, his brother, Akin Osinbajo, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, the Iyaloja General of Remoland, Mercy Owolana, and Senator Olorunimbe Mamora.
Osinbajo also paid a courtesy call on both the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo.
Mamora, who was part of the entourage appealed to indigenes and residents of the town to explore the capacity for rational decision by voting for APC in the forthcoming elections.
Earlier in the day, the Vice Presidential hopeful of APC had visited homes of notable sons of the town which include Mr. Adeleke Adesina, who is the Co-ordinator of Ikenne’s Peoples Forum and Mr Idowu Sofola, a renowned lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria.
In his remark, at a town hall meeting held at the Ikenne Town Hall, Adesina called for support of sons and daughters of the town by voting for Buhari/Osinbajo in the elections.
The Co-ordinator told the gathering which had in attendance members of different political parties that the forum was established to drum their unflinching support for their own, whom he said is an indigene of the town.
He said, “This is our project. The very day his name was announced as the running mate of Buhari was the very day we formed the Ikenne Peoples Forum, so that we can chart a common front by supporting our son, Professor Osinbajo.
“The forum is not partisan. It consists of people from different political parties. Our goal is to vote for our son in becoming the number two citizen of this great country. He is God’s appointee and we must all support him. We must support him with our votes and that is why we are starting the campaign from home,” Adesina said.