NO VACANCY IN LAGOS HOUSE: PDP’s ADE DOSUNMU, LP’s SUNMBO ONITIRI LEAD MASS DEFECTION INTO APC, ENDORSE SANWO-OLU; OLUSI WARNS ‘DON’T FIGHT ANY TRIBE’
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: Former Chairman, All Progressive Congress, APC, Lagos State, Alhaji Tunde Balogun; Chairman, APC Lagos State, Pastor Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi; Former Governorship Candidate, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State, Dr. Ade Dosunmu; Elder Statesman and APC Stalwart, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Former Senatorial Candidate, Lagos Central Senatorial District, Chief Sumbo Onitiri; Former Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Otunba Femi Pedro and Hon. Oyinlomo Danmole
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu can coast home into victory with the massive defections which happened today in Lagos. Huge numbers of party leaders and faithfuls of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) today deserted their erstwhile parties in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Heavyweights opposition politician including former Governorship candidate of PDP, Dr. Ade Dosunmu and former Senatorial candidate, Chief Sumbo Onitiri and other opposition leaders from the Lagos Central Senatorial district officially declared their unalloyed support for the Broom Movement and pledged to work assiduously for Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to get a deserved second term in office come Saturday 18th March 2023.
Trek Africa Newspaper can report that this grand project which has pulled Lagos political bigwigs into the APC fold was superbly coordinated by elder statesman and APC stalwart, Prince Tajudeen Olusi. The decampees are expected to be received by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu tomorrow in Alausa, Ikeja.
Present at this declaration ceremony were the who’s who in APC politics in Lagos Central Senatorial District. They include Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Otunba Femi Pedro; Amb. Musiliu Obanikoro; APC Lagos State Chairman, Hon. Pastor Cornelius Ojelubi; GAC member, Mutiu Are, former APC Lagos State Chairman, Alh. Tunde Balogun; former member of House of Representative, Hon. Alli Kazeem; Hon. Oyinlomo Danmole; Hon. Wale Oshun; Hon. Sam Egube; APC national youth leader, Hon. Dayo Israel; APC Lagos deputy chairman, Moshood Mayegun; Lagos SUBEB Chairman, Hon. Wahab Alawiye King; Hon. Bamgbose Martins; Former Coker Aguda LCDA Chairman, Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi One; APC Lagos woman leader, Hon. Okoya Thomas; Hon. Sola Giwa; former Chairman of Surulere Local Govt., Hon. Tajudeen Ayinde; General Manager of LNSA, Dr. Prince Ifalade Oyekan; Chairman of Iru/Victoria Island LCDA, Hon. Princess Rashidat Abiodun Adu; Chairman of Lagos Mainland LGA, Hon. Omolola Essien; Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Dr. Funmilayo Akande-Muhammed; Former Chairman of Lagos Island East LCDA, Hon. Kamal Olawale Salau-Bashua; Chairman of Coker Aguda LCDA, Hon. Rasaq Ibrahim Olamilekan; Chairman of Lagos Island East LCDA, Mayor Muibi Alade Folawiyo; Chairman of Lagos Island LGA, Prince Tijani Adetoyese Olusi; Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Hon. Dr. Kayode Adejare Omiyale; Chairman of Apapa LGA, Hon. Idowu Adejumoke Senbanjo; Chairman of Lagos State Association of Council Vice Chairmen (LASACVIC), Omo’ba Adeola Adetoro; LGA/LCDA Vice Chairmen; Former Women Leader, Lagos Central Senatorial District, Chief Mrs. Fadekemi Otitonaiye; Youth Leader, APC Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mr. Matthew Eshilokun; supervisors, councillors, and other APC bigwigs.
In his brief charge to the old and new APC members at the declaration ceremony today in Lagos Central Senatorial District, Prince Tajudeen Olusi was unequivocal, ‘Don’t fight with any tribe in Nigeria, that is not our job. The job that God has given us is to get Asiwaju there as President. We pray for him that everywhere there are challenges, God will give him capacity to solve it. Those who are angry, God will help to put their minds at rest. Please do not fight with any tribe.’
While handing over the APC flag to the decampees, Trek Africa Newspaper can report the party state chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi affirming: ‘I am highly delighted to witness this monumental development. I told my brother, Tunde Balogun that no wonder Lagos Central continues to excel. I sincerely appreciate Baba Olusi. You have demonstrated that we have a lot to learn from you. To our Omobowales – starting from Chief Sumbo Onitiri to Dr. Ade Dosunmu and other leaders, I welcome you back home. I want to thank you for having deep thought about Lagos and ruminating that Lagos was created in 1967 and we have been fighting for this democracy for 30 years and this year God has spared our lives to see the emergence of Asiwaju.’
Speaking on behalf of the decampees from the PDP bloc, former PDP governorship candidate, Ade Dosunmu said: ‘I want to start by greeting our father, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, God bless you sir. I have been a member of PDP for 24 years. I have never done any other party apart from PDP but I have friends across parties that is why I know virtually everybody here. So for me it is homecoming. I was once the President of Eko Club, the foremost indigenous club in Lagos with over 3000 members. I was a former PDP governorship candidate and I have my structure that I called Dosunmu Mandate Group in all 245 wards of Lagos. Tomorrow, we are coming with at least 3 leaders from each LGA to meet the Governor. We want to add up everything that we have together to what you have on ground.’
‘Today I am holding my brother, Moruf Dosunmu, a community leader in Ajah; Hon. Wole Adewunmi from Apapa; Nuru Lawal from Lagos Island; Samson Obadeyi from Ijora Badiya; Mudirat Ajibona from Coker-Aguda; Israel Elegbeleye and Kofo Oluokun are representing hundreds of youths; Tope Awopetu and Babajide from RSM; Ibrahim Gambari and Shettima Abena representing the Arewa community. They have promised to deliver for Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Kadiri Hamzat. I want to thank Prince Olusi for this opportunity’, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
Speaking on behalf of the decampees from the LP and other opposition parties bloc, the Chairman, Elders Committee, Labour Party and former PDP Lagos Central Senatorial candidate, Chief Sunmbo Onitiri said: ‘I am happy today. I give thanks to God. I thank our elder brother, Prince Olusi. He was the one who dragged us that we must join this party. We are foundation members of this party, we must not leave it, we are back to strengthen it. Lagos will work for us all. I have gone around but God brought me home. I have so many that I have brought with me from the Labour Party. Soon enough, that party will be depopulated. I also have state chairmen of other parties in Lagos who will endorse Sanwo-Olu again. God will help us, Lagos will favour us all.’
A chieftain of the APC, Hon. Oyinlomo Danmole during the ceremony re-echoed what Lagos youths in the opposition parties are saying. ‘Some of the young people from Labour Party who are campaigning have decamped to us today. They said they are a movement, that they were angry before because of Endsars and economic issues. They said they are not Labour Party and if they think they can be used to destroy things in Lagos, it won’t happen. They said they will not stay at home but will come and vote for APC. They said that our leader, Asiwaju is like Moses as they keep blocking the road, God is opening the road.’
