The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Lekan Baligun has placed before the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, the creation of Ibadan State, if he wins the 2023 election.

Oba Balogun made his request known while playing host to the party and its presidential candidate at his Alarere residence on Saturday

Speaking through the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, Olubadan commended Peter Obi’s delivery on the various problems confronting the country and how he would tackle them to bring about a new Nigeria that citizens would be proud of. The rating given to Ibadan by the LP Presidential candidate was also acknowledged by the Olubadan.

He advised the LP presidential candidate to remain focused and be committed to his programmes as brilliantly espoused while presenting himself to the Olubadan and his members of Advisory Council.

Olubadan told Obi, accompanied by the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate, Taofiq Akinwale, members of his campaign organization, led by Dr. Doyin Okupe, Akin Osuntokun, Chief Sola Ebiseni, the Secretary-General, Afenifere, Chief Mrs. Bola Doherty and Mogaji Adejumo among others the various activities already being carried out by him and his members of Advisory Council.

Such activities aimed at ensuring security across Ibadanland and peaceful 2023 general elections according to Olubadan are “symposia and meetings across all the local government areas in Ibadanland on how our people would live securely and how to ensure that the 2023 general elections are held without any form of violence. These are the concerns of Olubadan.

“As should be expected, Olubadan is the father of all and sees you all as his children. A widely travelled monarch, he is open-hearted and harbours no hatred for anybody for whatever purpose. We are happy to see you and your presentation bore eloquence testimony to your rich understanding of what you set out to do and one can only pray to God to grant you your heart desires and ability to follow to the letter your plan for a better and prosperous Nigeria”, Olubadan added.

Earlier in his address, Obi had told Olubadan and his Advisory Council members who are High Chiefs including Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin, Osi Balogun, Lateef Adebimpe, Ashipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola, Osi Olubadan, Eddy Oyewole and Ekerin Olubadan, Hamidu Ajibade that the 2023 presidential election should not be about tribe, ethnicity and religion.

He said all those variables “are elite conspiracy to keep down the nation. Where have all those taken us? I’m offering Nigerians what I did in Anambra State as a two-term governor. I have been asking Nigerians to investigate all of us aspiring to lead the country. What did we do at our previous points of assignments? Mine is not difficult to do for Your Imperial Majesty as our in-law in Onitsha where I hail from, just a tap on any of our people there, my profile would be made known.

“Other things to consider when making our presidential choice which I strongly believe would not be based on party basis are character, competence, capacity, commitment and mental and physical energy to do the work. We can make all promises, but, let us examine the person making the promises using the parameters identified above. How much of trust can we place in the person making the promise?” Obi asked.

Under his presidency, he said the states would be epicenter of activities, noting that the idea of holing up in Abuja without actually knowing what goes on around the states of the country would be a thing of the past. He lamented that virtually all the infrastructures belonging to the Federal Government in the states have collapsed, making movement and meaningful development almost impossible.

He reeled out various data and statistics to assert that Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be, going by its vast human and natural resources, lamenting that Nigeria is the only member of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Country (OPEC) where oil is being stolen virtually on daily basis to the tune of billions of dollars, yet, oil money remains the mainstay of the country’s foreign earnings.

“The government to be formed by the Labour Party (LP) come May 2023 would fight corruption because there can never be any progress under the regime where corruption remains the order of the day. By the time corruption is confronted headlong and defeated, criminality will reduce as a lot of jobless youths would be taken out of unemployment and poverty. We must get this country back on its feet and make it work again. This is my message to you Kabiyesi and the people of Ibadanland and I’m sure that with your support, it is doable,” he added. (Saturday Tribune: Text, Excluding Headline)

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