The Lawmaker representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Sabur Akanbi Oluwa; has revealed that he is going to be neutral in support to any member of the Oluwa family aspiring for the 2025 Ajeromi Chairmanship seat in the forthcoming Lagos State local government election.
In a media parley with newsmen in his country home, the young legislator emphatically said, “looking at the array of aspirants, they are all my ardent supporters who worked so hard for me to emerge even before my campaigns. We have all been together, we know everybody and their antecedents, what they can do and they have all tried to sell themselves to the entire community, Sincerely, I want to believe that the process will produce the best”.
Reacting to the trending agitation against any Oluwa family aspirant the lawmaker said, “the Oluwa family is family of service where every member have the spirit of service. Naturally not everyone would be pleased with the situation or services rendered none-the- less, I strongly praise the family for doing tremendously well in service delivery”.
He however said that nobody can take away the issue of qualification status from any of the aspirants from the family because they are all ably qualified for the office. However, the three aspirants from the family equally know as well as others know that, it is only one person that will eventually emerge as the Council Chairman since there is only one seat for the Chairman. The one person that will emerge will be from amongst all the aspirants including those that are not Oluwa and it is in this regards that I want to believe that the process will bring out the best.
He emphasized further that all the Oluwas’ in the race have developed themselves over time in their own rights and they have their capabilities. ,“Frankly speaking, it would be most unfair for me being in the House of Assembly, to tell the other Oluwa aspirants not to run for elective offices because I am at the House, but that could be a prerogative of the party but not me”, he argued.
On whether he would be lending voice for a primary election as a way to decide on a candidate, Sabur said, he as a person abhors any form of physical confrontation, “at the time of electioneering, primary election is one of the crucial stages that could make or mar a political party, So, my take is for a consensus candidate because it helps to preserve our party unlike a primary election that would tear our party apart or further polarize our party”, he observed.
On the Ajegunle L’okan agitation from Ajegunle axis, Hon Sabur Akanbi said , he does not think Ajegunle is asking for too much but they just have to make their case loud and clear because asking somebody to drop what is in their hands, you just have to negotiate .
“Ajegunle L’okan is an agitation and what we do in politics in this kind of circumstance is to lobby the right people and consensus will come when everybody is on board because consensus is a political consideration and that is why I urge the agitators to bring everybody to the same page because in politics, everyone has an interest but we must not allow personal interest override the right thing to be done.”
He urges the agitators to continue on their consultations that when it is time to make the pronouncement, it will emanate from a consensus and that is why I urge them to find that consensus and I sincerely hope that they find it”, he prayed.
According to the Lawmaker, “There is structure across boards in our party and I personally feel, if we can reach a consensus, the better it would be for everybody. However, consensus will not fall on anybody’s lap; there has to be negotiations and ground shifting too before people can shift their grounds. Somebody has to make a case, and making a case can be in different ways because one can present a case to someone else, and the person says, I have heard you, but hearing does not mean agreeing with you.
I mean, Ajegunle must bring everybody involved on board to agree that it is their turn. There is nothing wrong with agitation, but you cannot agitate alone; there must be a collective agreement.
“I do not see any division between Ajegunle and Olodi because we are all one, but you know this is politics and everybody has to be brought on board”, he noted.
