March 2nd: Ogun West People Meet, Adopt Isiaka As Zone's Governorship Candidate

           •Ogun West Stakeholders At The Summit

Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

Stakeholders - comprising sundry interest and pressure groups across Ogun West Senatorial district have endorsed the governorship  candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC ), Prince Gboyega Isiaka, as their preferred choice in the March 2nd governorship elections in Ogun State.

This followed the decision reached at a summit organised by the "Ogun West Stakeholders Forum" in Ilaro, the Headquarters of the region, over the weekend.

They cited the failure of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to honour a gentleman agreement to field a Yewa Awori man as reason for switching to the rancour-free ADC and its candidate, Isiaka.

The stakeholders added that they were also satisfied with the credibility of Gboyega Isiaka, according to Dr. Kunle Salako, in his welcome remarks during the meeting.

Salako, who is the Coordinator of the Ogun West Stakeholders Forum, also revealed that a critical examination of all the candidates from Ogun West contesting the forthcoming governorship polls, indicated that Isiaka is most acceptable and popular across the state.

 He lamented  that the APC would have been the preferred platform if the efforts of the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to work in collaboration with others to field a Yewa/Awori person, were not thwarted.

"Today, the zoning arrangement in the APC has been upturned to the disadvantage of Ogun West and the consensus gubernatorial candidate of APC from Ogun West jettisoned for another candidate.

 "After a SWOT analysis of the five remaining candidates and parties which present Ogun West persons as governorship candidates, we come to the realisation that the most acceptable to other sections of the state, most prepared for the job, most experienced and most qualified is Prince  Gboyega Nasir Isiaka," Salako said.

Notable leaders of the Ogun West senatorial district who attended the summit and supported the adoption were the Asiwaju of Aworiland, Senator Ayo Otegbola, Asiwaju of Yewaland, Professor Anthony Asiwaju, the Ekerin of Ota, Chief Bamgboye Osunlabu, the Otunba of Ilaro, Dr. Samuel Ibikunle and the Iyaloja of Yewaland, Chief Mrs. Yemisi Abass.

Other leaders of the Ogun West in attendance were the first female Minister in Nigeria, Ambassador Ebun Oyagbola,  former Deputy Governor in the State, Alhaja Salimotu Badru,  former Chairman,  Ogun -Osun River Basin Development Authority, Chief Mrs. Iyabode Apampa,  former Chairman,  Ogun State Housing Corporation,  Chief Bisiriyu Popoola, former Comissooner in the State, Hon. Lai Taiwo and Chief Mrs. Mary Ogunjobi,  amongst others.

It would be recalled that the Ogun West senatorial district of the State had yet to produce the governor for the State, 43 years after the Gateway State was created, whereas the two other senatorial districts of Ogun Central (Egba) and Ogun East (Ijebu) have been rotating the seat between them.

The OWSF, convener of the summit,  commended "other fair-minded brothers and sisters in Ogun East and Ogun Central for rallying round the zone to give the State a competent private sector person with the zeal to serve the state," just as the Ekerin of Ota assured that his presence was endorsed by the entire Ota people.

In his response to the endorsement,  Prince Isiaka said:"this reposition of confidence will further strengthen our resolve to restore education, health service and return prosperity to the mass of the masses."

He appealed to the organisers to take the endorsement further by voting and manning their votes, mobilising and ensuring that the Ogun West return him as governor with nothing less than 70 percent of the votes to be cast in the region.

Isiaka has contested twice as Governor of the State, coming third and second respectively in 2011 and 2015.