Lagos PDP Chieftain, Awesu, Mobilises Support for Atiku

Sunday Okobi

A chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State and contestant for the Ikorodu federal constituency in House of Representatives, AbdulAzeez Adekunle Awesu, has called on the youths and residents to support the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the forthcoming general election.

Awesu described Atiku as a unifier who needs to bring the various parts of the country together, and has the capacity to salvage Nigeria out of his economic and political problems.

The PDP contender, who is challenging the withdrawal of his mandate at the Supreme Court, made the appeal during a massive rally he convened in Ikorodu yesterday.

The march, attended by several candidates, including former party aspirants and other stakeholders in Ikorodu, was staged to mobilise support for the PDP presidential candidate and others. 

Awesu led the massive crowd across major areas in Ikorodu, including Awolowo Road, Ireshe Road, Oriwu Road, Ayangbure Road, Ikorodu Garage Roundabout, and along the Ikorodu – Shagamu Road.

While speaking with journalists during the rally, Awesu said: “This rally is basically to let people know that PDP is still on ground in Lagos, because if you can recall, we started this journey couple of months ago, and we knew the pace that we were going, but considering the circumstances, the whole thing seem to be dying down but then, people really need to know that PDP is still on ground, that is just the basic essence of this and to know that that Atiku Abubakar is going to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He added that: “Atiku is the unifier. That is the major reason we are doing this to bring him (Atiku) to everyone’s doorstep, knowing that it is Atiku that can do it on the platform and umbrella of the PDP.

“That is why we are mobilising our people and residents to put on their dancing shoes and come out here as we have a lot of work to do.”

The PDP chieftain said he was impressed with the turnout, adding that many have been expecting such an outing.

“The essence of the whole thing is just to bring us together instead of sitting in our houses and thinking there is nothing to be done. There is a lot to be done in PDP, and we need to come out. This is our time, we have every chance; we have every opportunity to take back what is ours,” he said.

On how the party intends to win the next general elections, Awesu said, “We have lots of strategies in place and for sure, in Ikorodu, PDP is taking the Ikorodu Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate, and the gubernatorial seat. All of these will be ours.

“You can see from the turnout how people came out massively despite the weather, and trust me, if you tell the people that we are still going further, they will be willing to go because they are very much on ground. The truth is that we have a lot of activities, and other functions to put out there.”

He also hinted that there would be more rallies which are going to include the PDP governorship and other candidates to mobilise the people for the next year’s general election.

Also at the rally, a former House of Assembly aspirant, Mr. Idowu Hammed Odunayo, also expressed hope and faith that Atiku will win the next election while also wishing the rally convener to reclaim his mandate at the Supreme Court.

“Well, we, members of the PDP, are strongly behind Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his vice, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. We are also solidly with our brother, Awesu, and we wish that he retrieves his mandate,” he said.

In his remark, Mr. Peter Ugoeze, chairman, Non-Yoruba in Ikorodu Local Government Area, said non-Yorubas in Ikorodu have decided to give their support to Atiku/Okowa in 2023.

According to him, “The non-Yoruba people have decided to support Atiku because we have seen that he’s the only person that can give us the particular mandate that we are looking for, and he’s most experienced among all the presidential contestants. He is the only person that has adequate experience to deliver Nigeria from this mess that APC has led us into. So, that is why we are supporting Atiku/Okowa to win this election in February 2023.”