Agege Traditional rulers, religious leaders, political stakeholders appeal to former LG chairman to return to APC

Agege Traditional rulers, religious leaders, political stakeholders appeal to former LG chairman to return to APC

By Kazeem Akande

Stakeholders in Orile-Agege and Agege Local Government Areas of Lagos State have appealed to former Agege Local Government Chairman, High Chief Ganiyu Egunjobi, and Barrister Azeez Yusuf, who recently defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), to reconsider their positions and return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Newsmen reports that the stakeholders including the traditional rulers, religious leaders and political stakeholders on Sunday called a peaceful reconciliation meeting at the Orile Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

They appealed to Egunjobi and Yusuf to reconsider their position in the interest of the party and the community peaceful coexistence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Oba Ambaliu Agbedeyi, the Alaige of Orile Agege said in his remarks that the report of possible violence linked to the tensed political situation compelled the meeting.

The traditional ruler said that his priority remained the peace, stability and development of the community.

“We want peace and progress in our community. When I heard that there will be bloodshed in the coming election, I cannot fold my arms and watch without doing anything.

“If we sit idle and do not intervene, and it comes to pass, we will be blamed for it. We cannot have a king and his subordinates and allow war to break us apart,” the royal father said.

He appealed to Egunjobi and Yusuf to reconsider their positions in the interest of the community, urging them to preserve their reputation and the peace that had prevailed during their years in office.

The Olu of Agege, Oba Oyedeji Kamila Ishiba, similarly urged the politicians and their supporters to shun confrontation, stressing that the community did not want violence.

“We don’t want fight or rancour in our communities. Promotion is of God. We don’t pray for commotion in our communities. We want you to work on achieving peace and stability in your party and the community.

Chief Shuaib Ajayi, the Baale of Dopemu in Agege Community, also called on stakeholders to uphold truth and encourage religious and community leaders to continue their efforts towards maintaining peace.

Apostle Babajide Ajibode the Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Orile-Agege, Chapter said that religious leaders would continue to pray for peace and the progress of both the APC and the community.

“The party has spoken and we must align with the position of the party. Some weeks back, the party invited us to a prayer meeting. I am sure that there are a lot of things behind what we are currently witnessing.

“I am not a politician but, as a clergyman, we will continue to pray for the peace and progress of the party,” he said.

Alhaji Olawale Sulaiman, the Chief Imam of Dopemu, , urged party leaders to intervene in the crisis and prevail on their members to avoid actions capable of triggering violence.

Sulaiman said political positions were temporary and should not be allowed to result in the loss of lives.

“Seeking positions only has meaning in this world. It is a thing of this world and only useful as long as we breathe.

If we are fighting over these intangible things and lives are lost, history will never forget the person behind the event,” the imam said.

Egunjobi, the newly defected member of APC and APM candidate, said he was unaware of the meeting until he was invited by one of the clerics.

The former agege council chairman said that the primary election period was politically sensitive, which called for fairness and reconciliation between both side by the APC leadership then.

Egunjobi added that he won the party’s primary election but that the party subsequently settled for another candidate, arguing that the development ought to have been followed by a reconciliation process.

“When you know that a candidate would be selected, you won’t tell us to go to the field.

If I am relieved of my winning, the party should deem it fit to invite us to a meeting,” he said.

According to him, the APC leadership had not reached out to him for reconciliation since the disputed primary, adding that he expected party leaders to convene a meeting involving the contending groups.

The former chairman also said he and his supporters had considered going to court over the matter but were prevailed upon by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.

“Before the issue degenerated into this, the leadership of the state APC led by Mr Cornelius Ojelabi did not deem it fit to intervene by inviting us to a reconciliatory meeting, nor did they reach out to us. Not even Mr Speaker. Let us fear God,” he said.

Egunjobi said his decision to leave the APC was not without precedent, recalling a similar political development involving the present state APC chairman, Ojelabi who was then the chairman of Ojo Local Government Area in 1999.

“In 1999, when Ojelabi didn’t return as Ojo local government chairman he left the AD for the PDP then, and began to abuse the governor Tinubu then, but we aren’t doing that.

“We were calm and law-abiding but the party failed to do what was expected. We own our community and nobody can dictate to us what to do,” he noted.

The former chairman added that he had initially not intended to contest for the Lagos State House of Assembly but was persuaded to do so.

Egunjobi, however, commended the convener of the peace meeting and assured residents that the political disagreements would not lead to violence in the community.

Newsmen also reports that Egunjobi, who was seeking election in Agege Constituency I, and Azeez Yusuf, popularly known as Ninolowo, who is contesting the Constituency II seat in Agege were recently dumped the party for Allied People’s Movement (APM)

The duo have picked the APM tickets to continue their bids for the Lagos State House of Assembly in the 2027 general elections.