Politics
FESTAC Residents Bemoan PDP Member’s Defeat
Some residents of FESTAC Town, Lagos State, have expressed disappointment over the defeat of Mr Dipo Olorunrinu, representing Amuwo-Odofin Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The Tide’s source recalls that Olorunrin, the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in the Lagos Assembly, lost his re-election bid in the March 9 House of Assembly election to Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olorunrinu, who was among the eight PDP lawmakers elected into the Lagos Assembly in 2015 general elections, did not defect to the ruling APC when seven of his colleagues did in 2017.
A survey by The Tide’s source on the constituents’ assessment of the first term of the young lawmaker at the weekend, revealed that he was admired by the constituents and close to the people.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the source across different avenues and roads in FECTAC, described Olorunrinu as a man of the people, who had touched their lives.
A resident on 204 Road, Mrs Josephine Kanu, described Olorunrinu’s loss at the polls as painful.
“I feel so bad that Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu lost the election. He won in many polling stations in FESTAC Town, but I don’t know what happened in Mile 2. Only God will judge.
“He did well for us, he bought cylinders and gas for women on the streets. He paid school fees, bought cows for people. I will miss him, when he leaves office. I wish they can repeat the election,” Kanu said.
Also speaking, Pastor Adekanmbi Aderemi, a cleric on same road, corroborated Kanu, saying that he had not been voting in the past, but that he had to vote in the last election because of Olorunrinu.
He added that the lawmaker was very close to the people, and that “if you go round, you will see what he has done. It is a great loss for us. He tried a lot, we have never experienced what he did for us in the past.”
“Keke Marwa and Okada riders were talking about him. He used to go to mosques and churches and gave people gifts,” the cleric said.
In his view, Umar Malam Umar, a Chief Security Officer of one of the roads in FESTAC Town, said that he was not happy about what happened to the lawmaker.
Umar said: “Olorunrinu used to give food to the residents to break their fast during Ramadan since he got to the assembly. We don’t know what will happen now as another Ramadan is approaching.
“We will continue to pray for him as we also do during the Ramadan. Olorunrinu used to give cows and rams to the residents during Sallah.
” He gave me a ram for Sallah last year and he is not tribalistic. He is good to the Hausas, Yorubas and Igbos,” he said.
A panel beater at 3rd Ave, FESTAC Town, Mr Kehinde Yisa, commended the lawmaker for providing free buses to convey students to and from schools.
“He discusses with us a lot and shares his experiences with us. He gave us rice, cows and a lots of things.
“We are not happy that he lost. He used to attend our meetings. He used to invite us to events and gave us food during Ramadan,” he said.
All these were corroborated by a herb seller, who simply gave her name as Mary as well as some commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders who gave their names as Mr Dennis Gadama, Samuel Peter, David Dandi, among others.
According to Dandi, Olorunrinu’s electoral loss is painful to most of them saying Olorunrinu has helped a lot of people including old men and women.
“He has helped to stop people from seizing our okadas. It is painful that Olorunrinu lost the election. Okada people love him because he has done a lot for them,” he said.
A trader, who gave her name as Mama Blessing, eulogised the lawmaker saying: ” Olorunrinu deserves to win the election.”
“He is “talk and do” just like his nickname. He lost because people were discouraged, they did not come out for the election. It is so painful. We will never forget him.
“He didn’t deserve to lose. I have seen others before, but this man worked. He campaigned vigoroursly and most people are annoyed that he lost the election,” she said.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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