…urges voters to protect their votes

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Dr Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has urged residents of the state to mobilise eligible voters in their families and communities to support the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, and other PDP candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Sowunmi-Kolapo made the call during a stakeholders’ meeting with residents and community leaders in the Obantoko area of Odeda local government area of the state.

The meeting, attended by hundreds of residents, party supporters and community leaders from American Junction, Asalu, Akete, Akinyele, Akepe Oluwa, Kangudu and other communities, turned into a show of support for the Adebutu-Sowunmi-Kolapo ticket and other PDP candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sowunmi-Kolapo urged residents to mobilise voters and ensure that their votes were protected on election day.

She said, “can you mention someone who remembered us during COVID-19 and was not in government and had no access to public funds? It is only Adebutu.

“If we allow strangers to rule over us, then we have allowed calamity. We want to protect our heritage.

“Let your votes be massive and protect your votes. Stand by your votes. There will be security provisions. They may want to offer you money; the money is yours, take their money and vote for Ladi.”

She also urged the electorate to support the PDP’s candidates for the National Assembly and state governorship elections.

“This suffering is enough. You know the first election, the presidential and National Assembly elections, will determine a lot. So, vote for Dele Olaleye and then vote Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and all other PDP candidates. Then vote for Adebutu as governor,” she said.

The gathering was attended by PDP state leaders, ward executives and the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta North, Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, Dele Olaleye.

Residents attributed their support for the Adebutu/Sowunmi-Kolapo ticket partly to Sowunmi-Kolapo’s decision to reside in the community, saying her presence had strengthened her relationship with the people.

Speaking at the meeting, the PDP Chairman in Obantoko Ward, Ezekiel Adeleye, described Sowunmi-Kolapo as a neighbour and a “big-hearted mother”, citing what he described as her philanthropic interventions in the community.

Adeleye recalled an intervention involving the community’s electricity transformer, saying Sowunmi-Kolapo had refunded money contributed by residents for its repair and subsequently provided funds for the project.

He said, “You are one of us, and we will vote for you. I don’t want us to miss this opportunity.

“You live with us here. The community leaders still remember your kind gesture a few years ago when you were told that we were contributing money to repair our transformer. You asked that the money contributed so far be refunded to the owners and you provided the funds.

“This is our collective struggle. We will rally our people to vote for Hon. Ladi Adebutu and all other candidates of the PDP in the 2027 general elections.”

Also speaking, the PDP Deputy State Chairman, Abiodun Ogunremi, who represented the state chairman, Abayomi Tella, urged residents to maintain their support for the party.

Ogunremi said, “We are called PDP communities for a reason, and we must prove our love for the PDP again next year.”

He recalled the party’s performance in the area during previous elections, saying Obantoko had six polling booths and had consistently been regarded by PDP supporters as a stronghold of the party.

“We have six polling booths and they call us PDP community. We will repeat the feat recorded during the last election,” he added.

Ogunremi also urged residents to scrutinise the backgrounds of political candidates before casting their votes.

“Ask them about their ancestry. They don’t have any in Ogun State. So, don’t give strangers any chance to rule over us and don’t allow them to intimidate you during the poll,” he said.

The PDP leader also cited what he described as interventions by Adebutu and his family in communities across Ogun State, claiming that the governorship candidate had supported residents despite not being in government.

“Adebutu is not yet in government and he has been doing wonders. His father has also been empowering people. No fewer than 700 transformers have been distributed by Adebutu to several communities across the state,” he claimed.

He urged residents to support the PDP, saying, “poverty will end and there will be fullness of good governance once he is voted as governor. So, let’s reject the hardship by voting en masse for all the PDP candidates.”

A member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Fasiu Bakenne, similarly urged residents to resist intimidation and support the party during the elections.

Also speaking, a PDP House of Assembly candidate in the 2023 election, focused on the issue of local government autonomy and recalled Adebutu’s pledge to restore greater autonomy to councils in the state.

“Stand by your votes. Odeda alone has between N300 million and N400 million allocation. If the local government autonomy promised is actualised, just imagine the benefits that will come to us,” Kenny said.

Olaleye, the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta North, Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, also linked the restoration of local government autonomy to Adebutu’s political agenda.

“Your votes will make the effort by Adebutu to return local government autonomy in Ogun to be realised,” he said.