Ogun LG Poll: Non-Political Groups Drum Support For Shomide's Chairmanship Ambition

Some of the traditional chiefs at the solidarity meeting 

ABEOKUTA - Barely few days after nine APC Chairmanship aspirants in Abeokuta South local government withdrew from the local government election to support Hon. Ayodeji Michael Shomide, non-political groups consisting of traditional rulers, market traders, Community Development Association (CDA), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Monday pledged their support for the chairmanship ambition of the Transition Committee Chairman, Abeokuta South local government, Hon. Ayodeji Shomide.

The groups in their large numbers held a stakeholders meeting for the Caretaker Chairman at the Abeokuta South Secretariat.

The groups urged the state governor, Dapo Abiodun to approve candidature of Shomide as the APC flag bearer in the forthcoming LG polls.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, a former aspirant, Hon. Toyosi Enilolobo said, “we, the undersigned, wish to express our profound gratitude to His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR for his unflinching support towards the progress of Abeokuta South local government for appointing the man of the soil and a cerebral administrator to pilot the affairs of the Premier local government in Nigeria, Abeokuta South, Hon. Ayodeji Michael Shomide.

“We are unperturbed by the claim of some disgruntled elements within the fold of the party to resort to character assassination by declaring the Transition Committee Chairman of Abeokuta South local government, Hon. Ayodeji Shomide as a person whose source of income is questionable.

“While they failed to question the flamboyant, lavish life style of a staff of the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission who paid the party leaders huge sum of money to fraudulently and unlawfully attempt to buy the party chairmanship ticket, a level 13 officer whose salary is 142,330.90k per month should be questioned of his source of multi million naira wasteful bribe offer to the party leaders in other to buy the party chairmanship ticket.

“It is so obvious that his income doesn’t commensurate with the multi million naira bribe offered the party leaders, therefore, his income and lifestyle is highly questionable.

“Hon. Ayo Shomide has demonstrated himself as good team leader, by bringing people together from beginning to the end of different projects. He chooses to specialize in the construction and Property industry as a result his confidence in collaborative efforts towards achieving same goal, in which he is demonstrating as the Chairman of Abeokuta South local government.”

The groups also noted that the need to support Shomide was because of the achievement he has made in the past few months as caretaker chairman.

He added,”however, it has become pertinent as stakeholders in the local government to lend our voice to the political imbroglio rocking the party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abeokuta South as some moneybag politicians have hijacked the peaceful co-existence of party members in the local government.

The leader of the groups addressing journalists 

“Following series of attack and political assassination on the personality of Hon. Ayodeji Shomide by these moneybags, we have deem it fit to declare our support for the Transition Committee Chairman to continue his good work as the Chairman of Abeokuta South local government, regardless of any dirty political tactics engineered by a member of the Ogun State Cabinet from Abeokuta South Local Government, whose main target is the 2023 National Assembly election.

“We can never had it this good in Abeokuta South with the performance of Hon. Shomide in the council area.

“Despite, the paucity of fund couple with the global Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted economy of the state, Hon. Shomide had in the last couple of year tremendously improved on the wellbeing of the citizens of the local government.

“With Hon. Shomide at the helms, every household in Abeokuta South can feel the impact of the state government through our dynamic and visionary Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.”

He listed some of Hon Somide’s achievements as follows; New Health care center at Oke Egunya, Ago-Oba, Almost completed Shopping Complex at Kemta side of Itoku market, New Itoku Market (under construction) stalls, Business support scheme for Adire textile producers within the LG, with an off taker arrangement, Establishment of Traffic Mayor under the enabling law of TRACE, Proposed Skill aquisition center, at Blairs Memorial Panseke, Proposed construction of a new computer village in Pansekeband Construction of Ijaiye Gbangba dilapidated bridge, among other numerous human development projects.

He stressed, “we, however, call on His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR to discountenance the rabble rousers trying to pull down the people’s choice just to score cheap political goal and to misdirect our people for his own selfish political greed.

“It is imperative to inform the public that, the party is yet to adopt any consensus candidate, despite the multi million naira bribe offered the party leaders, as those imposing a particular candidate against the advice of the Governor are doing so to cause confusion among party members and simply to justify their shameful act of bribe taking.”