Obasa calls for Igbo’s collaboration, ahead Saturday polls

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.Mudashiru Obasa has charged the Igbo’s resident in Lagos to eschew tribal sentiments as they go out to vote this Saturday.

Obasa made the remark, while speaking with Ifako Ijaiye II constituents during a campaign rally of one of his colleague,Hon. Rasheed Makinde where he officially commissioned one of the many boreholes donated by the lawmaker at Ward D in Ojokoro.

Obasa,who is the chairman of the Nigerian Conference of Speakers, highlighted the fact that he had to identify with Makinde because the legislator is one of the vocal, vibrant and active member of the state assembly.

According to Obasa,a legislator lacks the power to execute  projects but can facilitate many infrastructural development through the instrumentality of the legislature.

“Makinde has been a vibrant, active and vocal in the state assembly, thanks for choosing him and I am sure you will support his reelection.

” It is for the benefit of all the constituency, if we send our able representatives for as many terms as we can,I became a Speaker today because Agege people reelected me for four terms and I am returning for the fifth term.

“This has given the needed competence for the task,so let’s support our representatives.

Commenting on the issues of ethnicity which played up at the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Lagos,Obasa noted that it is high time Nigerians imbibe the patriotic spirit as the All Progressives Congress had been accommodating across the divides especially in Lagos State.

” We are one,Hausa,Igbo and Yoruba,abroad you only ask after a Nigerian,when you need a direction around town,we need not discriminate amongst ourselves.

“When you are in Rome,you behave like the Romans,APC are the Romans in the Lagos context,Igbos benefits equally what obtains for the Hausa’s and Yoruba’s here,we don’t discriminate,we are the Romans so they should behave like us by voting our party.

” I urge all of us to canvass across the divides,because we have been accused of being docile in respect to exercising our civic responsible during election period,which is a disservice to the Yoruba race.

“We have to be active electorates in the Southwest out of the 6million registered voters,we had  only a little above 500,000 that exercised their franchise at the last polls, this is really not encouraging, let’s close the gap by doing the needful on Saturday.

” As this will make us able to boldly table our request when we vote right,Lagos was not better than other states back in 1999,thanks to Asiwaju we are now a leading light in many areas.” Obasa retorted.

He however,counseled Lagosians to come out enmasse to vote Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu for Governorship position and all APC candidates across the 40 constituencies.

“I have no issue in Agege,I will continue to commend the Agege people for the their support ever since, they have always been there for me so I expect them to repeat the same trend on Saturday.

” I want to appeal to them to come out and support what the indigenes are doing,you know it is always better when we work together, when you collaborate

“We have not at any point in time discriminated against anybody in Lagos,that is the main reason why everybody should support this party APC.

Earlier the host,Hon.Makinde had sensitized his constituents on how to avoid having a voided vote,particularly educating the electorates on how to ensure the imprint on the ballot paper does not go beyond the box.

” When you have the ink on you index finger ensure you make a light but visible imprint on the APC allotted space,clean your finger and fold the paper right on that spot to avoid it entering another space”. Makinde said.

The Special Adviser to the incumbent governor, on Civic engagement,Mr Benjamin Olabinjo a party stalwart in Ojokoro, speaking during the rally noted that government is really a continuum as he assures all that there shall be no abandoned project.

“This government is a continuum, there can’t be any abandoned project amidst the ones initiated by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s led administration, the Babajide Sanwoolu administration while consummate them.

The Makinde campaign team also paid a courtesy call on a 132-year old woman, Mrs Nusiratu Aduke Olaniyan residence’s and at  17 Abiodun Street Ojokoro area as they gave  her food items and cash gifts.

Makinde, also promised a monthly stipend of   N10000, for her up keep, he later met with another Community Development Association (CDA) members in ward B to rap up the campaign movement.