AFTER WORKING ASSIDUOUSLY FOR ASIWAJU’S EMERGENCE, I TOOK THE RISK FOR LABOUR PARTY – HON. MUTIU KUNLE OKUNOLA • says ‘Living MKO’ nickname was to remember ideas, generosity of Chief MKO Abiola
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Hon. Mutiu Kunle Okunola aka Living MKO
The National Coordinator of Tinubu 2023 Non Negotiable (TNN), Hon. Mutiu Kunle Okunola aka Living MKO said he took a detour into Labour Party in order to contest the Federal House of Representatives, Ikeja Constituency seat.
This decision is in line with the aim of his interest group, Tinubu 2023 Non Negotiable (TNN). Apart from ensuring Asiwaju’s presidency, they also encouraged various people including the youths to actively participate by picking up tickets of political parties.
In his chat with pressmen alongside Trek Africa Newspaper at his polling unit in Oregun, Ikeja, Hon. Okunola said: ‘We are not a support group but an interest group encouraging people to contest. My aim is for unity and for the new generation to take tickets and perform well.’
‘When the APC party ticket for House of Reps was coming, I was told to step down and that is why I opted for Labour Party to test the waters as a grassrooter. I took that risk after working assiduously for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I thank God that the north which I targeted delivered for Baba Tinubu. I also want to say that I didn’t take a single person from APC or PDP when I was going to Labour Party. I promoted the party all over Ikeja, Lagos, I spent money but Peter Obi didn’t give us a kobo.’
‘The Living MKO’ continued: ‘I created a new generation. They are not politicians so you can see it in their processes, they are carried away by social media, they were particular about Peter Obi, and voted through tribal sentiments. Most of them voted Igbos like in Oshodi-Isolo 2 but when it came to Yorubas, they negotiated it. That’s what happened in Ikeja. Also, there is difference between Labour Party and Obidients. That’s where many got it wrong provoking our people even towards the Governorship elections.’
Hon. Mutiu Kunle Okunola aka Living MKO at his polling unit in Oregun road, Ikeja
The Labour Party House of Reps candidate told Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘Well, we are free-minded. Politics is about interest. When your interest is not met, you are bound to leave. I will join hands with other like minds, we don’t know who is going to get it right. That is why I am ashamed as a politician, people before us haven’t done it well. Whatever the outcome of election is, everybody has the opportunity to go to court. You cannot put Nigeria into fire, that is not the essence of contesting. I contested in 2007, 2019, and 2023.’
On the governorship race in Lagos, Mutiu Kunle Okunola told Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘I am voting for Lagos this time around. I have seen APC. I have seen PDP. Sanwo-Olu was an errand man in first term, so don’t use that to judge him but this second term will judge if he means well for Lagos. But what I am going to say is that people who don’t have second address should not be allowed in office. I manage human beings, pay salaries of about 200 staff and have about 17 businesses. If you can’t create wealth what are you doing in office? And it is not about political party.’
On why he was popularly called ‘the living MKO’, Hon. Okunola said the special name was important to preserve the memory of late hero of democracy, Chief MKO Abiola. ‘We will not forget the memory of MKO. That’s what we are replicating, his generosity, his ideas, we won’t forget him easily.’
