*Masses treat him to roaring applause on a campaign tour for local council elections
*How his sterling stewardship earned APC electorate love, put Ogun on the global map
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has been receiving an enthusiastic and energetic welcome from the people as he kicks off the Local Government Election Campaign Tour while using the opportunity to inspect ongoing and completed projects around the state. The Ogun State governor fondly called, Mr Roads, because of so many roads he has completed in the state, is perfect proof that it is not by dramatic attainments alone that champions are made, but by will. Abiodun is a man of great will hence his sterling accomplishments in governance and the fields of enterprise. His passion for excellence is bolstered by a will as sturdy as an oak and expansive as the pacific deep.
If Dapo Abiodun were born of the sun, he would bathe the world in brilliant spokes of foresight and leave the air vividly stamped with his exploits. Starting out, his genius sparkled electrifyingly, so much so, that the odds could not douse his ember. He set out with the fervour of a man who understood, that, to succeed in the cutthroat world of politics – as he did in commerce – he must be ready to uphold unimpeachable beliefs and serve the interests of the people.
But since he assumed office as the executive governor of Ogun State, Abiodun has radiated more dazzling and colourful spectra of light, thus illumining his domain and environs with his fabled mystic.
Cowardice and doubt incinerate in the blaze of his sterling statesmanship, and his personal and political ethics are so firmly anchored on the steadfast rock of conscience and integrity.
It is unsurprising, therefore, that he has established himself as a slayer of administrative ogres and ennobled the corridors of power with unparalleled statecraft since he assumed political office.
Yes, the excitement was visible and profound. Sweat glistened on the faces of the wizened and able-bodied as the throng, a mish-mash of residents, traditional rulers, party loyalists and women and trade associations who all stood out in their different uniforms, converged under the scorching mid-day sun. They hailed and sang and danced feverishly at the sight of the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, a man that effortlessly elicits interminable cheers whenever he makes public outings in the state and beyond for his prodigious governance style.
Last Monday, the governor was in Imeko-Afon to flag off the Local Government Election Campaign Tour. For the crowd, the governor’s presence presented an opportunity to express their appreciation to him for some of the promises he made to them that had been fulfilled. And, like Oliver twist, perhaps, ask for more. But they didn’t even need to ask; as the governor, with the benefit of prescience and self-awareness, made more heart-warming promises that speak to the people’s needs.
Accompanied by members of his cabinet and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor said his administration had executed 52 projects in Imeko-Afon within two years, which further animated the atmosphere. Chief among the projects, according to the governor, is the construction of Oke Ola Road in Imeko, which he said will ease the hardship being experienced by travellers on the road.
For the governor, apart from campaigning for the party’s candidates in the forthcoming LG elections, it was also an opportunity to assess other impactful projects in the community like the rehabilitation of public schools, rural electrification and primary health centres among others. He promised, “Before my next visit to the local government, the deplorable condition of the Abeokuta-Olorunda-Imeko Road will be a thing of the past, as we are set to give that major road the attention it deserves.”
While affirming the supremacy of the party in the council, Governor Abiodun urged the people to come out in large numbers to show their supremacy in the forthcoming council elections by ensuring victory for the party’s chairmanship and councillorship candidates. “We have seen that our party, the All Progressives Congress is the only party here. We could have decided against coming here for this event because we know Imeko-Afon belongs to us, but our coming here has given us the opportunity to see the state of the road here.
“On July 24, two weeks and two days from now, I want you to go out en masse and vote. Even though we know that Imeko-Afon and Yewa belong to us, I want you to come out to vote and let them know through your votes that they truly belong to us. Let us all come out and vote in Yahya Fadipe and Gabriel Ogunyomi,” the governor stated.
The campaign train moved to Yewa North local councils where the reception was equally as robust and rousing. The governor reminded the crowd that his administration had completed 76 projects in their domain in the past two years.
The day after, the governor and his team moved to Ijebu East LGA. Waiting to receive him was a coterie of traditional rulers, a rarity on campaign grounds where the outbreak of violence is in nano-seconds. But the leaders and traditional rulers that received the governor had no such fear. Could it be that the opposition had already called the election for the APC due to Governor Abiodun’s performance in office and see no reason to disrupt the APC’s campaign? Governor Abiodun was gleefully welcomed by the crowd, which surged and saluted him with different praise songs. Perhaps, deservedly so! And, it bears recalling why.
The very essential 14km Ijebu-Ode – Epe Road, a major link between Ogun and Lagos States and an alternative to the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which had been in a state of disrepair leading to abandonment by commuters for several years, will be ready for use by December. Governor Abiodun had flagged off the construction of the Ijebu-Ode-Epe road in late 2019 to ease traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, bring relief to commuters and indigenes, and engender the socio-economic growth of the state and save Nigerians valuable time in traffic. At the turning of the sod, the governor said, “One of our promises was to provide infrastructure in all parts of our state. In the course of our campaign, I made a promise that our administration will rehabilitate and reconstruct the Ogun end of the Ijebu-Ode-Epe road to bring succour to our people and engender the economic development of our state. The dual carriage road is planned to have 10 lanes – four on each side with one pull-out section while there would be a toll plaza comprising 14 payment points.”
But for the drawbacks of COVID-19, the road would have been fully completed now. It is currently at 90% completion. It was a no-brainer, therefore, that the appreciative people would be uninhibited in extending and expressing their joy to him. After the campaign, the governor stopped by the road project where he said that the construction of a flyover was ongoing at the Ijebu-Ode end of the road to eschew the sufferings and unnecessary loss of lives on Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Benin Expressway. He added that security checkpoints, hotels, fire and ambulance stations, towing points and trailer parks and other facilities would be provided to ease the stress of long-distance travellers and motorists and to respond to accidents or any other emergencies.
Since the campaign started, Governor Abiodun must have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic and energetic reception he has so far received from the masses and traditional rulers who have become omnipresent wherever he goes, a pointer to the fact that gone are the days of violence on campaign grounds; and an appreciation of the fact that he is delivering on his plans and promises to the good people of Ogun State.
