Sola POPOOLA
Mobilisation drive for the success of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, received a boost in Ekiti State at the weekend, as local government coordinators were inaugurated by the Ekiti State Chapter of the Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the National Presidential Campaign Council in Ado-Ekiti.
A release by Chief Niyi Ojo,the group’s Publicity Secretary said the committee was raised at a meeting held in the state capital,
The State Coordinator, Contact and Mobilisation of the Tinubu /Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Hon Bamidele Faparusi, inaugurated the local coordinators as well as various sub committees of the group to brainstorm on the Mobilisation strategy for success at polls.
The statement congratulated the coordinators for being counted worthy to be part of the mobilisation drive, explaining that members of the contact and Mobilisation Committee were picked by the Tinubu / Shettima Presidential Campaign Council based on their proven integrity, track records and love for the party.
He explained that the assignment at hand is not a paid job, but a voluntary duty to serve the party for a successful outing in the general elections, noting, however, that the rewards would come after the success of the party at polls.
Faparusi added that the job on hand required hard work and devotion to duty to ensure that the candidate secure the highest percentage of votes from Ekiti State even higher that what Lagos will give,even as he praised the coordinators for their efforts, assuring that the benefits of a successful election would be fairly shared.
Faparusi urged them to start their assignments in earnest in their respective local governments, pointing out that the results of their assignments would be used for strategic planning in the mobilisation drive.
He said the committee was not in conflict with Ekiti State Campaign Council just announced by the state chapter of the APC, explaining that the Contact and Mobilisation committee was a creation of the Presidential Campaign Council, adding that the State Secretariat of the APC was in full knowledge of the voluntary assignment of the local committees of the PCC, explaining that the state’s party leadership even nominated two members to join the state chapter of Contact and Mobilisation committee of the PCC.
He urged members to see the committee and the State Campaign Team as working for the same purpose of ensuring success for the presidential and other candidates of APC in the 2023 general elections.
A leader from Ijero, Ropo Ige, urged all leaders to hold their grounds in their localties, saying the assignment at hand required honesty of purpose to work for Tinubu’s success as a collective success of APC for the benefit of all members.
The 16 local government coordinators that were inaugurated are: Ogunrinde Olaseinde for Ekiti East; Dele Ojobanikan, Gbonyin; Gbolahan Osilade, Emure; Adeniran Olaitan, Ise/Orun; Akinniyi Sunday (Ikere), Atomeji Kayode (Ekiti South West), Monisola Oladaiye, Efon; and Taiwo Suleiman from Ekiti West.
Others are Rotimi Ojo, Irepodun/Ifelodun; Odunayo Arinka, Ado; Ropo Ige (Ijero), S.O Kayode, Moba; Abiodun Toluwalase, Ilejemeje;
Animasaun Diamond, Oye; Oluwarotimi Afolabi, Ido-Osi; and Olushola Alagbo, Ikole.
Various sub-committees were also set up to ease coordination of the campaign activities. They include Youths and Students Committee; Women Affairs Committee; Artisans, Labour and Academics; Traditional and Religious Committee; Non-Indigenes; Intra-party Committee; Special Duties; and Transport Committee.
The sub-committees are to be coordinated and supervised by the Planning and Strategy Committee led by Hon Oyetunde Ojo as Chairman and Faparusi as co-chairman.
Other members are: Akin Oluwadare, Bayo Aina, Shola Olofin, Ropo Adesanya, Asiwaju Apalara Wole-Adewumi, Dr (Mrs) Yahaya Kolade, Chief Oluwole Ariyo and Gabriel Babalola.
Others are Chief Niyi Ojo, Omotayo-Johnson Modupe, Deacon Anifowose (Secretary), Olayiwola Omotola, Gbenga Akinola, Ropo Ige and Ademola Bello.
Publicity Secretary of the Committee, Niyi Ojo, presented the brochure of Tinubu’s development projects in Lagos State while he was governor. The brochure was sponsored by Hon Cyril Fasuyi, to ease campaign efforts of the coordinators.
Ojo urged the coordinators to take the brochure to their local governments to show the voters some of the “first class achievements” of Tinubu in Lagos.