Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli, the Senator-elect for Oyo South Senatorial District, has urged Mogajis (community leaders) in Ibadan to ensure massive votes for Sen. Teslim Folarin, the APC candidate for the March 11 governorship election in the state.
Alli made the appeal while addressing a gathering of the Mogajis in Ibadan.
He said that such development would avail the community leaders the opportunity to align with the trend in the nation’s political pendulum.
According to him, the direction of political pendulum in Nigeria is the only way to guarantee an unfettered access to dividends of democracy at all levels of government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alli, a former Secretary to Oyo State Government, holds the title of Maye-Balogun of Ibadanland.
He was declared senator-elect for Oyo South Senatorial District by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Feb. 25 election, having polled the highest number votes to defeat other contestants.
The Mogajis present at the meeting were drawn from Ibadan North, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan South-East, Ibadan South-West and Ibadan North-West Local Government areas.
Alli thanked the Mogajis for their contributions to his electoral victory through their votes, prayers and by drawing his attention to things he needed to attend to on the day of the election.
“I had informed you that I belong to the APC and invited you here to celebrate our victory and discuss about Folarin. I apologise for his absence at this meating.
“He would have been here, but he’s constrained to be in Abuja right now. He is one of us, he’s the Asaaju of Ibadan and Mogaji Ile Baale of Oja-Igbo.
“His politics has been mostly in Oyo Central Senatorial District in the recent past, that’s why many of us have not been able to interact with him,” he said.
Alli described Folarin as a good person, trustworthy character and a man of his words, urging them to vote for Folarin, an Ibadan indigene with good pedigree.
He assured the leaders that whatever promises made to them would be fulfilled, saying, “Folarin appreciates those who contributed to his cause.
“There are several advantages in voting for Folarin as the Governor of Oyo State.
“You were aware of the fact that no government constructed more roads than the Government of Gov. Abiola Ajimobi.
“This achievement was not based on the federal allocation alone. It was by taking advantage of intervention funds available to Ajimobi as an APC Governor on the same platform as the President.
“Folarin already have the same advantage. Ajimobi knew Abuja and how to source for those intervention funds.
“Folarin knows Abuja better than Ajimobi. He knows the ‘politics’ of Abuja like the back of his hand,” he said.
Alli, expressing optimism that the state would benefit a lot by having Folarin as the governor, reminded them that Folarin facilitated the establishment of a 100-bed ‘Mother and Child’ hospital in Ibadan.
He noted that there were only seven of such hospital in the Nigeria, which means it could only be given to those who belonged.
“What’s more, after construction of the hospital, the people who constructed it saw a dilapidated school nearby and not impressed by the state of the school.
“They constructed 96 classrooms for the school, installed a power generaing set, borehole, constructed a road, street lights and many more benefits for the school.
“Indeed, we cannot begin to talk about the benefits that will accrue to Oyo State when we have Folarin as Governor,” he said.
Alli said that the president-elect and three senators-elect from the state are all from the APC, the same platform on which Folarin was contesting.
“We are the authorities in our households, let us use our mandate appropriately for Folarin and the APC toward the March 11,” he said.
Alli said that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu has assured them that there would be no strikes in universities anymore, promising to remove subsidy and put the funds on education, subsidy, and economy.
“Fuel prices may initially go up, but it will be for a while, then it will drop again like the price of mobile phones and SIM cards”.
“Folarin is well read and educated with a degree from University of Ibadan and a Diploma from Harvard University. He is a through-bred Ibadan son on both sides of lineage.
Contrubuting, Alhaji Asimiyu Ariori, the Mogaji of Ariori Compound and President, Association of Mogajis, encouraged those who didn’t follow Alli’s lead in the first election to do so the coming elections.
Ariori urged them to follow the lead now that it was obvious where the wind is blowing.(NAN)
