A student organization under the auspices of Ganiyu Adeleke Dada GAD Students Movements, have backed the Ogun west Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ganiyu Adeleke Dada Obanibasiri to emerge as winner in the February 25th Senatorial election in the Senatorial district.
Addressing newsmen in Ota on Thursday, the President of the movement, Comrade Oniyitan Ezekiel Akinbode, popular as Bodmas, said that the students bodies decided to throw their weights behind Chief Ganiyu Dada Adeleke because they have gone through his manifestoes and personal profile and that they are convinced that he was the right man, who has not only prepared for the position, but has Ogun west blood running through his veins and as a result, would know the yearnings and aspirations of the good people of Ogun west.
“We decided to support High chief Ganiyu Adeleke Dada Obanibasiri because he is an indigene of Ota, an ancient Awori kingdom in the Ado/Odo-Ota local government. He is the Oluwo Itoki of Ota kingdom and a legislative member of the Olota-in-Council. He is an Alumnus of the University College of Wales, England where he bagged his first degree in Politics and Economics, he continued and completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration at the Cardiff Business school, University of Wales. He then worked at Nestle Foods Nigeria PLC where he resigned to establish his business, Aldrem ventures limited and he currently holds the franchise for US Polo Assn. brand in Nigeria”.
Com Akinbode stressed that the figures made available by Independent National Electoral Commissions shows that the youth are ready to take their own future in their hands as they have the highest number of Permanent Voters Registration and as such, the youth in Ogun west, whom are mostly students are willing to use the figures to drive home their desire.
“Thankfully, the empirical data made available by the Independent National Electoral Commission is evident that the Nigerian youths and importantly, the Nigerian tertiary institution’s students have taken the bull by the horn and are ready to fix the nation in a democratic means. According to INEC, 37,060,399 or 39.65 percent of eligible voters for the coming general election are between the ages of 18 and 34. It was further revealed that students in terms of occupational distribution make up the largest category of all eligible voters at 26,027,481 or 27.8 percent. It is against this background that we decided to convey a meeting, and engage in wide consultation with on the one hand all the leadership and students’ structure across all the campuses domiciled in the Ogun West senatorial district and on the other, with all students in outside campuses but with voting eligibility status in Ogun West”.
He buttressed further that though, their organization as a student body is not partisan, but there was need for them to guide their colleagues in the choice of whom they chose to represent them at the red chamber and that they want someone who can deliver quality representation and prioritize the need of students and youth in their decision making.
“As individuals under different student bodies, we recognized that the constitution of our organizations is objective and neutral when it comes to partisan politics. At the same time, we feel obliged to properly and adequately guide our teeming colleagues who will be voting in this district to choose a candidate that will assure quality representation and prioritize the youth and student constituencies for the pursuit of educational and occupational advancements.
We have studied the templates of each of the candidates and we have democratically concluded that we will support a particular candidate who has shown more preparation than every other contestant. We are moved by his context-specific programs which are responsively unique to each of the local governments comprising the Ogun West senatorial district and relating to areas of security, social infrastructure, electrification, social investment, industry, Creative industrialization, youths and sports, and important to us education.
Regarding education which is our major concern, he showed us in his well-researched manifesto that he will be committed to ensuring ACCESS, SUPPORT, and a QUALITY ASSURANCE model in the educational sector. He promised to improve access to basic education and initiate and consolidate bills that will ensure that Ogun west benefits from fair and just access to different educational services. On SUPPORT, he identified critical areas such as scholarships, gadgets, and other facilities that will aid academic excellence. While on QUALITY ASSURANCE, he emphasized that his representation will facilitate the construction, and rehabilitation of schools and equip our laboratories, and studios and create opportunities for a national and international scholarship for graduate and post-graduate studies”.
Representatives of all the student bodies that make up GAD movement said that for the sake of love and to secure the future of of their youth counterparts, they are endorsing the candidacy of Chief Ganiyu Adeleke Dada Obanibasiri.
“Great Nigerian students, ladies, and gentlemen, gentlemen of the press, on behalf of the entire strength and structure of the students in Ogun West senatorial district of Ogun State, and for the sake and love for the future of the teeming youths, we hereby endorse and recommend High Chief Ganiyu Adeleke Dada OBANIBASIRI of the People’s Democratic Party for the Ogun West senate seat in the 10th Assembly and to the glory of the Almighty God”.
Other representatives of student bodies that attended the press conference included; the National President, National Association of Yewa Students, Comr. Fadare Olatilewa, Chapter President of National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) OGITECH chapter, Comr. Lash, Chapter President of National Association of Yewa Students (NAYES) OGITECH, Comrade Yades, Students’ leaders from Federal Polytechnic of Ilaro, Comrade Gbolahan, Peter, Comrade Ponmile, Ogun West Student leader from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Comrade Bisi, among several others.
By: Tobiloba Mustapha
