Why I’m contesting as Odeda LG chairman, by Lawal, APC candidate

…Chairmanship hopeful pleas for votes

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By Femi Shodunke

NIGERIA: THE All Progressive (APC) chairmanship candidate for Odeda Local Government in Ogun State, Alhaji Semiu Bola Lawal, has justified reasons why he is contesting for the coveted seat.

The local government election will go ahead as scheduled for this Saturday, October 8 by the state Independent National Electoral Commission after an Ogun State High Court siting in Abeokuta dismissed a suit filed by the Labour Party accusing the electoral umpire of exempting its candidates from contesting in the poll.

No fewer than 17 political parties, which included the APC, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Unity Party of Nigeria, and Social Democratic Party (SDP), among others, will participate in the election that will hold in all the 20 local governments and the newly created 37 Local Council Development Areas.

Lawal, popularly called Sembol, told GatewayMail in an exclusive interview that his decision to contest was informed by his pragmatic desire to better the lot of the people of the council area with populist and progressive programmes.

The chairmanship candidate, who said that the sage and Premier of the old Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is his role model, stressed that his chances of winning the election on the platform of APC is very bright.

“APC is more to the left that’s why I prefer her platform,” Lawal, who is the Proprietor of Anu olu International College, Abeokuta, said on his choice of party.

He, however, stressed that his “brighter chances” of winning the election is based on “the good performance of Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and my closeness to the grassroots.”

On his programmes, the chairmanship hopeful said: “We shall engage in the grading of roads so that our local

farmers can easily bring their farm products to the town.

“Similarly we shall provide drinkable water to all our communities, youths training and women empowerment, among others, that we can afford within the local government’s available resources shall surely occupy our topmost attention that they deserved,” Lawal, who is a Fellow of the Chattered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria and the representative of the Institute in Ogun State, maintained.

“The above mentioned programmes are part of what my people are asking for,” Lawal, a holder of Higher Diploma in Management, post-graduate diploma in Public Administration, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Social Work, emphasised.

The chairmanship candidate, who has campaigned round the wards in the local government, appealed to residents of the council areas to go out in large number to vote for him and fellow APC councillorship candidates in the election.

His words: “My people and all the eligible voters should go out en masse on Saturday, October 8, 2016 and vote for me and all APC candidates.”