Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, expressed surprise at the fact that out of the four present gubernatorial candidates for the 2019 elections, three are from Ikorodu.
Oba Shotobi disclosed this in a statement signed and released on Tuesday by the spokesperson of Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Modupe Ogunbayo, during the visit of Jimi Agbaje, the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to his palace before embarking on a town hall meeting in Ikorodu township.
The king raised a vital point that has been noticeable during the 2019 poll. Many inhabitants of Lagos have often expressed surprise at the fact that the candidates from the same Ikorodu town could have joined forces to present the leading candidates amongst them as a consensus candidate.
This is especially needful in order not to split the block vote that could give a consensus candidate the needed edge to secure the much-needed victory at the ballot.
Oba Shotobi said he has been in earnest prayers for quite some time, that by divine appointment, an indigene of Ikorodu would emerge as the governor of Lagos state. “This heartfelt desire arose because Ikorodu, has suffered marginalisation in the scheme of affairs in the state”.
He decried a situation where governance power structures and cultural identity is limited to other areas of Lagos and not the indigenous areas especially, Ikorodu. To reverse this trend, he wishes that a governor who is an indigene and would keenly identify with the town and its sensitivities would become the next governor of Lagos.
Nevertheless, Oba Shotobi reiterates that he is a king over all regardless of tribal, ethnic and religious affiliation. My doors are open to all candidates I wish everyone well,” he said.
Also, he expresses his surprise at the statistical analysis made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the number of registered voters in Ikorodu. Lagos with a population of over 22 million people has slightly over six million registered voters out of which Ikorodu boasts of just about 300,000 registered voters. “Yet, Ikorodu is one of the fastest developing areas of Lagos, “ he said.
