The Arewa community in Lagos State has called on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene in the internal crisis,which has greatly hampered the electoral delivery strength of the community since 2007 till date.
In a statement made available to newsmen by the Secretary of the Arewa Community, Alhaji Umar Adamu-Daura traced the root cause of the crisis bedevilling the people known for delivering bloc votes during general elections in times past, to the doorstep of the Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Arch. Kabiru Ahmed.
Analysing the damning consequences the existing division within the ranks of Arewa community in Lagos has cost the party , Umar made a comparison between the votes garnered in 2003,2007 down to 2019 citing its dwindling stature.
“If you looked at it right from the first tenure of Fashola after 2003 when he came on board after completion of Asiwaju’s two terms, what was our vote? Almost about 2 million.
“In 2007 during Fashola second tenure we polled more than 1.6 million votes in Lagos and the percentage of Arewa votes in Lagos is really huge, but when Ambode came it dropped to 800,000 and 2019 it further dropped to 600,000.
“So this goes to tell you that our people are not happy because of Kabiru’s greedy mien.” He said.
Umar maintained that Alhaji Kabiru Ahmed was behind the refusal of approval for the Arewa community to elect a new Chairman, while Otunba Henry Ajomale was Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state.
Alleging that Kabiru has often scuttled their moves for an elections via the backdoor, owing to the fact that he has the ears of the leaders.
This he said has whittled the existing unity amongst the Arewa community, as they got fed up with the disruption of formerly functional arrangements within their community.
“The genesis of Arewa crisis and division was actually caused by Architect Ahmed Kabiru.
“In 2007 during second tenure of Fashola, he was the one that created the faction within the Arewa APC in Lagos state.
“Chief Henry Ajomale the former Chairman of APC in his wisdom could see that the reconciliation process has reached a deadlock, so he now created leader 1 and 2.
“Our late chairman Alhaji Sidi Alli became leader 1, while Arch. Ahmed Kabiru was Leader 2, pending when we are going to organize an election and elect our new chairman.
“Thereafter, whenever we approach Otunba Henry Ajomale on our preparedness to conduct our election for Arewa in Lagos state, Kabiru would go behind and tell Ajomale not to give us the clearance.
He did all he could, whenever we notified the party Chairman he will say no this is not the right time for election.
“This development did not go down well with us, what is leader 1, leader 2? It has no legal or constitutional backing, that has been the issue up till date and our people generally in Lagos State are fed up with this kind of thing in fact it has really affected Lagos vote.”
The Arewa community queries the displacement of Arewa values by Kabiru, whom they claimed as a subsisting Commissioner still wants to take charge of their community affairs.
“How can you be Commissioner and at the same time be Chairman of Arewa Community in Lagos?
“Arch Kabiru Ahmed has made his point clear that he totally disregard the votes of our market people across Lagos, but that is where the bloc votes is coming from. You talk of Mile 12 International market, talk of Alabarago, Abattoir, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ajegunle.
“Those are densely populated Arewa areas in Lagos State. Where you have bloc votes of the Arewas,once you are in good relations with an Arewa man just go to sleep you have no problem but don’t allow an Arewa man to tell you get out. His no is really no.
“2023 is key and we don’t want APC to lose in Lagos State, our people are not happy at all with the way things are going but the party and government are seeing this crisis as a minor thing.
“So in the interest of Lagos and our great party APC, we are calling on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to as a matter of urgency intervene in the crisis of Arewa community of APC in Lagos state.”
While appreciating Kabiru’s great relationship with the powers that be and his leadership status, the community however notes that he need make sacrifice for the general wellbeing of Arewa.
“ If he really loves Asiwaju then he must be ready to make sacrifice. “ Said Umar.