February 08, (THEWILL) – The Arewa Community, Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has donated 12 campaign vehicles to the executive of the Lagos State APC.
The vehicles, according to the leadership of the Arewa Community, are in support of the APC campaign for the general election coming up on February 25 and March 11.
The Arewa said the gesture is to confirm their unflinching support for the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Second term aspiration of the State Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, as well as other candidates of the party across board.
Presenting the branded vehicles on Tuesday evening, at the party Secretariat of the community along the Palmgrove area of Yaba, the State Chairman of the Arewa Community in the APC, Engineer Saadu Gulma Yusuf Dandare, said the gesture “is in fulfilment of the Arewa Community’s promise of total support for the party in the state, most especially the aspiration of the former Governor of the state, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to become the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2023.”
According to him, the support would go down to all the candidates on the ticket of the party from the governorship candidate to the National Assembly candidates and the State House of Assembly flag bearers, assuring the party of 100 per cent of votes of the members of the Arewa Community in Lagos State.
Collecting the keys to the vehicles from Gulmaa Dandare, the State Chairman of the party, Hon. Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, on behalf of Tinubu and the Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thanked the community for its support and the cordial relationship between the Arewa people and the natives as well as with other ethnic nationalities in Lagos.
“We want to appreciate the good things you have been doing for the State and the party. We always appreciate your stand on unity and peace. You are trustworthy and committed to the path of truth. Your yes is always yes and your no is always no. That is why you are good relationship managers,” Ojelabi remarked amidst a standing ovation.
The State chairman, who described the Arewa community as “our blood brothers and sisters,” commended them for their immense contributions to the commerce, economy and political stability of the state, assuring them that the political patronage the state being extended to them would not cease but increase.
Also speaking at the event, Director of Ethnic Affairs in Lagos, who is also the Executive Chairman, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government, Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, expressed his delight over the total assimilation of the Arewa Community into the indigenous setting of the State, describing their relationship with the people and Government of the State as very robust and heart-warming.
He urged them to continue in that manner saying the state is taking note of that, which he said would be more appreciated as usual.
Director-General (DG), Arewa Support Movement for APC, Muhammed Maikano Lawal, also said the Tuesday event was just the official commissioning of the vehicles just as he informed that, “we have been providing the APC logistics in form of campaign vans across the south-west before these and we will continue to do so,” revealing that, “as we speak, more are still on the way”.
Lawal, however, corrected the erroneous impression that the Arewa Community is peopled only by the Hausa Fulani, saying, the community is all-encompassing with the inclusion of all the ethnic nationalities residents in the northern axis of the country like the Igala, Tivs, Gwaris, Ebiras, Jukuns, Kanuris and Nupes to mention a few.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
