Forum urges ADC to relist Lagos Reps candidate

The Awori Renaissance Forum has urged the leadership of the African Democratic Congress to relist Mr. Olalekan Anjolaiya as the party’s candidate for Alimosho Federal Constituency, saying the move would address the alleged marginalisation of the indigenous Awori people.

The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Coordinator of the Forum, Mr Muraina Ajala.

Ajala said the forum was making the appeal following reports that Anjolaiya, who was initially presented as the party’s candidate, had been disqualified over alleged multiple party registration.

He argued that replacing him with a non-indigene would amount to “a miscarriage of justice” when qualified Awori sons and daughters were available to represent the constituency in the National Assembly.

According to him, relisting Anjolaiya would give the indigenous Awori-speaking people of Alimosho the opportunity to produce a representative and end what he described as years of political marginalisation.

“We are using this opportunity to call on the leadership of the ADC to right the wrong being meted to our son and standard bearer, Hon. Olalekan Anjolaiya, who is the only hope of the indigenous Awori people of Alimosho.

“Our appeal is to the national leadership of the party, particularly the National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, whom we believe has the power to do the needful in this instance.

“Of particular concern to us is the collective injustice being meted to our people who are indigenous to Alimosho. It pains us to state that there is a well-coordinated plan to shut us out of power by the various political parties in Lagos State, particularly here in Alimosho Federal Constituency,” Ajala said.

The forum alleged that Awori-speaking people had consistently been sidelined in the choice of candidates for the constituency despite having qualified sons and daughters capable of representing the area.

It also described Anjolaiya as “a son of the soil,” noting that his contributions to community development had earned him the traditional title of Bobakeye of Igandoland.

“The affected member is known to us and he has contributed so much to the development of Aworiland, particularly his native Igandoland. This has prompted the traditional ruler of Igando, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi, to recently bestow on him the title of Bobakeye of Igandoland,” the statement said.

The group further argued that allowing a non-indigene to emerge as the constituency’s representative would amount to “double jeopardy” for the Awori people.

“We are even more concerned that the only time we have been represented by one of us is now by our incumbent representative, Hon. Ganiyu Adele Ayuba, who has been denied a return ticket by the ruling All Progressives Congress. We don’t want our son, Olalekan Anjolaiya, to suffer the same fate, and this is why we are making the clarion call,” Ajala added.