Hon. Azeez Babajide Akinloye, a former member of the House of Representatives, has appealed to Eti-Osa residents of Lagos State to go massively for their PVCs ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Hon. Akinloye stated this on Saturday during a press briefing, where he harped on the importance of the voters' cards for the success of any election.
"I'm not vying for anything. I'm just a concerned indigene and citizen of Eti-Osa. I went into politics for service — getting things done in my constituency, getting things done in my hometown, getting things done in my village and all those things. Those are my own primary motive of venturing into politics," said Akinloye who also served as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly between between 2003 and 2011.
The former lawmaker who was a member of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019, said it is very important to elect credible leaders, noting that the only way such could be done is for the people to get their PVCs.
"It's very important that we elect and support those who have the capacity and ability to make the difference in our constituency.
"You see, we can say a lot of things and we can wish for a lot of things, but the only way to which you can get things done is to vote right. And there is no way you can vote if you don't have the machinery to vote, which is the PVC.
"If you don't have it, you will just be home on the election day and do nothing. And at the end of the day, you keep blaming the system. The system won't change.
"When you have the opportunity to contribute to the change, and you refuse to contribute by not voting, you haven't helped the system. And you can't vote if you don't have your PVC. It's as simple as that.
"So, that's what prompted me to say, look, I think this task is to encourage the people to obtain their PVCs, so that you have the ability to vote on election day."
On the measures the stakeholders in Eti-Osa are taking so far to ensure that the residents collect their voters cards, the lawyer said; "There are measures in place within my constituency. The measures in place are both traditional and superficial.
"You may not know that in Eti-Osa, we have what we call Eti-Osa Indigenous Forum; they hold meetings monthly, and they take these meetings to every settlement in the whole of the constituency.
"Such meeting is an avenue to reach out to the people and encourage them to go and do what is right. And I can tell you that the impact of such organisation is massive.
"There are about 50-something settlements in Eti-Osa. They have a roster. The next meeting is coming up this weekend, in one of the settlements.
"And I can tell you authoritatively that in the area, you will see 200-250 people going for that meeting. And these people come from all the settlements.
"They have connections with the people that live in their city. So, it's a channel to which, if we properly harness, will go a long way to boost our electoral value, to boost the outcome of elections," Hon. Akinloye said.
He said further; "However, there are other steps to which the government can use to be able to encourage the citizens to take certain steps. And one of those is what I'm trying to explain to you, from the angle of those towns and settlements.
"The government, through their media organisations, must make the people aware of what the government is doing to elevate their life.
"When we were growing up, there used to be this MAMSA thing. Yes, mass mobilisation. Such things are needed now.
"Because then, even as a small boy, I can still remember when Professor Jerry Gana would come and say, to be a teacher you have to teach well. That didn't stop. Till date, I still remember."
Hon. Akinloye said as part of the reasons for the call for the PVCs, it was imperative to avoid the experience of the last election where the ruling party performed poorly in the area during the presidential election.
"You see in Eti-Osa, we have a tradition when it comes to elections. And the tradition is wherever the state goes, is wherever Eti-Osa goes. But now, Eti-Osa is a different ball game entirely from what it used to be.
"Now we have massive development in Eti-Osa and there is influx of people. So the Eti-Osa that we are dealing with now is quite different from the Eti-Osa of then.
"And the only way to reach is to make people realise that, especially those of us who are indigenous, the need for their PVCs. I'm an indigene of the place, so I know what to do.
"What happened in the last election, especially in the presidential election, was a wake-up call. It was a wake-up call that the way we used to look at Eti-Osa at that time is no more.
"Now, as people who are stakeholders in the environment, we should not close our eyes to this development. We must make people realise that our villages are no more villages. They are cities. They are towns.
"So, as indigenes, as people who are native to that environment, and because we don't want to be behind what the state and what the federal are doing, we must work collectively.
"I had the opportunity to be at the federal level, so I know how the federal operates. We don't want to be left behind. We must also put in our efforts to make sure that we run with both the federal and the state."
He praised the efforts of President Bola Tinubu and his policies.
"Look, I have to be factual and I have to be truthful. I'm a very strong believer in the activities of the president.
"I have worked with him while at the House. And apart from having the opportunity to work with him at a close quarter, I know his capacity. He's a very brilliant man," the former lawmaker said.
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Rubbish you are saying
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