Chairmanship hopeful in the coming local government election in Ojokoro Local Council Development Authority of Lagos, Hon. Dipo Okeyomi, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the area have appealed for calm among aggrieved members of the party.
Some members of the party had thronged Okeyomi’s campaign office to register their anger over the “rumour” that his mandate had been taken away from him.
But addressing the crowd at a meeting held on Thursday at his campaign office Okeyomi otherwise referred to as “Carry Go”, pleaded for calm, saying the logjam was being addressed.
He said the people should show maturity and love for the party by allowing peace to reign and an amicable resolution.
He declared that resorting to violence would not solve any problem but cause more havoc and that would not help the cause of getting justice
He said the issue on hand could be resolved peacefully, stressing that he would certainly get his mandate which was given to him by the teeming populace of the area to represent the APC in the coming election.
He expressed the strong belief that the leaders of the party would resolve the crisis and ensure justice in the matter.
“I am imploring everyone to remain calm in the interest of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. Violence does not solve any problem, rather it compounds it. Plans are ongoing to ensure justice. Our leaders are capable of ensuring justice and they will surely do that.
“Like you all, I believe in our leaders and their ability. I appeal to everyone to remain calm. I plead with you. At the end of the day, your son, brother and friend, Dipo Okeyomi (Carry Go), will get the mandate to represent you as the chairman of Ojokoro LCDA”.
He added that contrary to the widespread rumour, the governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, did not have a hand in the alleged denial of his mandate.
The Sole Administrator of the LCDA, Waleeh Ade Ipaye also spoke at the occasion, stressing that the alleged injustice would be corrected “by the grace of God. This mandate, we shall get it. We shall get it”, Ipaye said.
He also called for calm among the members of the party who expressed their annoyance at the development.
He said the mandate could only be retrieved with calmness and resolve not to be violent.
He informed the crowd that moves were already going on to ensure that justice was got.
The member representing the area at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasheed Makinde, who also pacified the crowd, said it was wrong for any single political leader to up-turn the decision of the majority of the people.
He said it was the resolve of the people of Ojokoro to have Okeyomi as the chairman and that decision could not be thrown into the trash can because of the interest of just an individual.
He also dispelled the insinuation that Governor Ambode was privy to the denial of the mandate.
Alhaji Ajeigbe who is a political leader in the area, in his own speech said the crowd showed the amount of support the people had for “Carry Go”.
According to him, the support and love for Okeyomi could best be displayed by their maturity and calm disposition in ensuring that the logjam was resolved without a resort to violence.