By Olanrewaju Adesanya
Some Christian and Muslim APC members from Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State on Monday stormed the Bourdillon residence of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on a plea protest and to offer prayers.
The residents also pleaded with Tinubu to intervene and stop every alleged attempt by some party leaders to substitute the name of Dipo Olorunrinu, the winner of the APC ticket at the just-concluded party primaries in the council.
According to them, they have set aside religious and ethnic lines to vote massively for Olorunrinu at the primaries and his name was published by the party before the rumoured replacement of his name in order to return the incumbent chairman.
The protesters, who chanted various solidarity and religious songs at Tinubu’s residence, hoisted placards with inscriptions such as “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu loves Truth and Justice”, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a True Democrat” and”Asiwaju Amuwo-Odofin wants Dipo Olorunrinu”.
Others are:”Asiwaju, Please Don’t Let Anyone Remove Dipo”, “The People of Amuwo-Odofin wants Dipo Olorunrinu”, “Ndigbo, Arewa and Yoruba Are One for Jagaban in 2023” among others.
Leading the Christian prayer session, Pastor David Omotosho thanked God for Tinubu’s concern for Amuwo-Odofin council area, pleading the APC leader to ensure the mandate given to Olorunrinu stands.
“We are here to thank our leader for what he has done in Amuwo-Odofin. He has also intervened in matters of Amuwo-Odofin on several occasions. He has not abandoned us to our fate. He is a lover of Amuwo-Odofin.
“We thank God for protecting the life of our leader and his household. We pray that God will grant his heart desires, we pray especially that his 2023 general elections’ desire will come to fruition,” he said.
According to him, Tinubu should please block every plot to scuttle the mandate given to Olorunrinu during the May 29 APC primary election in the council.
Omotosho said that Olorunrinu had affected so many lives, and since his defection to ruling APC from the PDP in 2019, he had been promoting APC and the National leader in the council to the admiration of many grassroots people.
“He even has a liaison office branded in Tinubu’s name with a lot of followership from various ethnic, religious and professional groups in Festac Town and environs.
Leading the Islamic prayer, Alhaji Isiaka Bello, who thanked Tinubu for allowing a level playing field for Olorunrinu to emerge the winner, prayed God will continue to grant his heart desires.
Bello, who noted that Amuwo-Odofin residents had much confidence in Tinubu, prayed God to multiply his honour and that of his wife and children.
He said that Olorunrinu remained the choice of the people of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government to lead the council and “under no circumstance should his name be substituted to pave way for another person”.
Also, Mallam Hamzat Abdsalam, the Secretary-General, Arewa Community in Amuwo-Odofin payed God grant Tinubu his ambition in 2023 Presidential election.
Abdulsalam, who also prayed God to give opportunity to Olorunrinu to be the executive chairman of Amuwo- Odofin LG in the forthcoming election, said that his love and care for masses and downtrodden was high.
The Arewa scribe, who noted that most residents wanted Olorunrinu as the executive chairman in the council, urged Tinubu to prevent all plans to substitute him.
It is reported that prayers were also offered to God in Igbo and Yoruba language for Tinubu.
Recalled that some aggrieved members of the ruling APC from Amuwo-Odofin Local Government on Saturday protested against alleged substitution of Olorunrinu as APC candidate for the forthcoming July 24 council poll.
