The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Dr Lekan Balogun Alli Okunmade II, has charged the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and his vice, Ahmed Datti, to ensure the creation of Ibadan State, should the party win the 2023 elections.
The traditional ruler gave the charge when Obi led some members of the party on a courtesy visit to his Alarere, Ibadan residence, today.
Oba Balogun, speaking through the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, commended Peter Obi’s delivery on various problems confronting the country and how he would tackle them to bring about a new Nigeria that its citizens would be proud of.
This was as the traditional ruler also acknowledged the high rating and respect the LP presidential candidate accorded Ibadanland.
Oba Balogun, in a statement by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, admonished Obi to remain focused and be committed to his programmes as brilliantly espoused while presenting himself to the Olubadan and members of his Advisory Council.
Members of the Olubadan Advisory Council are High Chiefs Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin, Osi Balogun, Lateef Adebimpe, Ashipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola, Osi Olubadan, Eddy Oyewole and Ekerin Olubadan, Hamidu Ajibade.
Olubadan told Obi about the various activities already being carried out by him and his members of Advisory Council, saying they were geared towards ensuring security across Ibadanland and peaceful 2023 general election.
Th activities, he said, included “symposia and meetings across all the local government areas in Ibadanland on how our people would live securely and how to ensure that the 2023 elections are held without any form of violence.
“These are the concerns of Olubadan. As should be expected, Olubadan is the father of all and sees you all as his children. A widely traveled monarch, he is open-hearted and harbours no hatred for anybody for whatever purpose.
“We are happy to see you. Your presentation bore eloquence testimony to your rich understanding of what you set out to do and one can only pray to God to grant you your heart desires and ability to follow to the letter your plan for a better and prosperous Nigeria,” Olubadan added.
Earlier in his address, Obi told Olubadan and members of his Advisory Council that the 2023 presidential election should not be about tribe, ethnicity and religion.
He said all those variables “are elite conspiracy to keep down the nation. Where have all those taken us to? I am offering Nigerians what I did in Anambra State as a two-term governor.
“I have been asking Nigerians to investigate all of us aspiring to lead the country. What did we do at our previous points of assignments?
“Mine is not difficult to do for Your Imperial Majesty as our in-law in Onitsha where I hail from. Just a tap on any of our people there, my profile would be made known.
“Other things to consider when making our presidential choice, which I strongly believe would not be based on party basis, are character, competence, capacity, commitment and mental and physical energy to do the work.
“We can make all promises, but let us examine the person making the promises, using the parameters identified above. How much of trust can we place in the person making the promise,” Obi asked?
He said, under his presidency, the states would be epicenter of activities, noting that the idea of holing up in Abuja without actually knowing what goes on around the states of the country would be a thing of the past.
Obi lamented that virtually all the infrastructures belonging to the Federal Government in the states have collapsed, making movement and meaningful development almost impossible.
The LP presidential candidate reeled out various data and statistics to assert that Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be, going by its vast human and natural resources.
He lamented that Nigeria is the only member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Country (OPEC) where oil is being stolen virtually on daily basis to the tune of billions of dollars, yet, oil money remains the mainstay of the country’s foreign earnings.
“The government to be formed by the LP, come May 2023, would fight corruption because there can never be any progress under the regime where corruption remains the order of the day.
“By the time corruption is confronted headlong and defeated, criminality will reduce as a lot of jobless youths would be taken out of unemployment and poverty.
“We must get this country back on its feet and make it work again. This is my message to you Kabiyesi and the people of Ibadanland and I am sure that, with your support, it is doable,” he added.
Obi was accompanied on the visit to the Olubadan by the Oyo State LP governorship candidate, Taofiq Akinwale; members of his campaign organisation, led by Dr. Doyin Okupe; Chief Akin Osuntokun; Chief Sola Ebiseni; the Secretary-General, Afenifere, Chief Mrs. Bola Doherty and Mogaji Adegboyega Adejumo, among others.
