James Sowole in Abeokuta
The deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State for the 2027 elections, Hajia Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has said the politics of throwing money around will only drain the spender rather than suppress the will of Ogun State indigenes and residents.
Kolapo, who is the Iya Sunnah of Egbaland, said her experience from the ward-to-ward tour embarked upon by the PDP had given clear indications that no amount of money could buy the conscience of Ogun State voters.
She spoke to a crowd of supporters who had gathered to welcome her during a condolence visit to a bereaved supporter, Alhaja Kuburat Sowunmi, in Ijemo, Abeokuta.
The deputy governorship candidate said that despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) name exclusion propaganda by the ruling party, which has unwittingly turned itself into an opposition party struggling to claim power, her party had continued to deplete APC numbers in the thousands with the gale of defections into the PDP.
“This shows nothing other than the fact that indigenes of the state will speak loudly with their votes in the coming polls.
“Ladi Adebutu is the next Governor of Ogun State. Let them continue spending. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo is also going back to the Senate. Omo Owo, Toyin Amuzu, Dele Olaleye and all our candidates will emerge victorious,” she declared.
According to her, “I am sure, with time, true sons and daughters of Ogun State, who are only on the other side to line their stomachs, will realign sooner rather than later, in the interest of future generations.
“They know the implications of messing with the liberation that our forefathers fought hard for. In the comfort of their homes, they know the difference between a true son of the soil and a ‘Temu’ version.”
Kolapo said Ogun State could not be conquered with money that belongs to Nigeria, while urging the few indigenes that have yet to cross to the good side of history not to “sell their heritage for peanuts that won’t last.”
According to her, the PDP ticket of Adebutu/Kolapo represents an ‘Ogun for Ogun’ agenda that will ensure that Ogun State’s resources benefit its people. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Ijemo turned carnival-like as residents sang solidarity songs, danced, and chanted “Ogun for Ogun! Power to the people!”
They resolved to mobilise from house to house to stop what they described as strangers trying to rob them of their heritage.
Indigenes who spoke gave reasons for their support for the PDP ticket, enumerating many basic amenities that Adebutu had provided for the Ogun people, statewide, without political office.
Also, Mr. Caleb Alao, a pastor from Oke-Ijemo, argued that the APC had “ruined” the good days of the PDP rule.
“We are tired of the APC government. Many of the schemes established by the PDP administration have been abandoned,d and there is joblessness in the state.
“Ladi Adebutu has been empowering our market women and paying school fees of indigent scholars long before the election. That is the kind of leader we want,” he said.
On her own, Mrs. Folake Adeyemi, a community women leader, said: “Adebutu is not a stranger. We know his foundation; we know what he has done for widows and farmers. APC has brought hardship- the cost of rice, the cost of school fees; everything is high. We want a government that will feel our pain.
“Iya Sunnah has been running empowerment programmes in our community twice a year for about seven years. Her compassion is not about politics. We will vote for them and protect our votes.”
Echoing the ‘Ogun for Ogun’ agenda, an elder in Ward 5, Semiu Bankole, said: “This ‘Ogun for Ogun’ agenda is what we have been waiting for. Some people want to buy our birthright because they have money.
“We are Egbas, we are proud people, we will not allow our ancestral land to be taken over by political traders who only remember Ogun during elections.”
Also, a youth leader, Ahmed Ogunsola, accused the APC government of abandoning youths.
He said: “The APC government hasn’t impressed us to vote APC again in 2027. No jobs, no support for small businesses. Adebutu’s empowerment schemes have reached many of us in Abeokuta South. That is why we, the youths, are saying PDP is the way forward. We will defend our votes.”
The meeting ended with a pledge by the residents to take the ‘Ogun for Ogun’ message to all polling units in Abeokuta South.