By Dapo Akinrefon

The ancient town of Omupo in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, last Thursday, witnessed a colourful and huge political gathering when the philanthropist and political stalwart, Mr Gbenga Oyekunle Power declared his House of Representatives bid in the 2023 elections before a mammoth crowd of supporters and well wishers.

The occasion also witnessed the public declaration of the decision of the politician and his supporters to pitch their tents with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, going forward.

The colourful gathering of ADC supporters and beneficiaries of the philanthropist’s programmes had in attendance ward leaders, community elders, women leaders, co-ordinators of the Gbenga Power Foundation and representative’s professional and artisan groups in Ifelodun, Offa and Oyun Local Government Areas of the State.

In what political pundits in the State have described as unprecedented and a clear signal that Mr Gbenga Oyekunle Power looks good to coast home to victory in the election, the thousands of supporters who thronged the St Michael Primary School, Omupo grounds of the gathering vividly projects how the philanthropist is among his constituents. 

Speaking at the event, a community leader and politician in Offa Local Government Area, Mr Kanmi Adetunji described the turn out at the political event as a positive signal for the philanthropist’s House of Representatives bid.

Mr Adetunji said: “You can see for yourself. Even if a governorship aspirant records this type of huge turnout of supporters and admirers at his political rally, he will be reassured that truly his people are behind him. 

“For us, it is a payback time. Mr Gbenga Power has served us and impacted positively on the people of his consttutency all these years. Now is the payback time. We owe him this. He earns our support.”

Also speaking, a United Kingdom based community leader from Ifelodun Local Government Area, Prince Funsho Ladipo, expressed satisfaction at the turn out of Power’s teeming supporters, noting that it could not have been otherwise. 

Ladipo said: “Mr Gbenga Power is our true representative and the event of today bears vivid testimony to this fact. While a contestant needs the platform of a political party to contest, it is also a statement of fact today that a true man of his people will win election hands down, irrespective of which party he belongs. Gbenga Power comes prepared for this race and victory is certain by God’s grace.”

Stakeholders from all the wards across Ifelodun, Offa and Oyun Local Government Areas affirmed their commitments to ensuring the success of the philanthropist in the forthcoming election.

In his speech, Mr Oyekunle Power, commended his teeming supporters, noting that every decision taken in respect of his political journey has been a collective one. 

Why I moved to ADC — Power

He said: “We are where we are today because this is where you want us to be. Our decision to move to this party was a collective one, our decision to secure the House of Representatives ticket of the party was a collective one and our decision to go ahead with this battle has your approval and support. With your continued support, I don’t have any doubt that success is certain. I want to assure all of us that we are all in this together and we will enjoy the success we are set to attain collectively.”

On why he thinks he is the best candidate for the House of Representatives in his Constituency, Mr Gbenga Power noted that having committed hundreds of millions of his hard earned money into philanthropic activities such as sinking of boreholes, schools renovation and rehabilitation, health care, soft loans for artisans etc, he is not in doubt that he will judiciously utilise public resources to alleviate the conditions of his constituents when he gets to the office.

“Our resolve is to deploy public resources to enhance the standards of living of our people.”

On his latest political move, Mr Gbenga Power disclosed that as a believer of politics without bitterness, his latest political move is in line with the yearnings and aspirations of his people and not an attempt to generate political rancour.

“We are all one in Kwara State, and even though the resolve to serve our people may take us through different routes, our aims are the same: we are all one in the service of our people.”