On Tuesday, June 9, newly
elected members of the National Assembly will take oath of office to herald the
8th Assembly. This event calls for sober reflection. I dedicate this great
victory to the House of Representatives, to the great people of Amuwo Odofin
Federal Constituency whose hard work, moral support and dedication in this huge
success we have achieved.
House of
Representatives
Like any
other happy event, to God I give he glory. I dedicate my victory to Awori
people (a sub-tribe in Yoruba land) in whose land I have been a sojourner for
about 30 years during which period my political career blossomed.
The
Aworis are the owners of the land I always represented and I have been
integrated with them. They have been wonderful people, well accommodating and
hospitable to non-indigenes. They are my people and I consider myself one of
them.
I had the
privilege of being elected the Publicity Secretary of National Republican
Convention (NRC) for Lagos State under my late political father, Sir. Michael
Agbolade Otedola, and under whose government I served as a director of LASACO
Assurance Plc.
I cannot
but thank you, my host. It is true that non-Aworis such as the general Yoruba,
Igbo, Arewa, people of the South-South now form the majority in my federal
constituency but my appreciation still goes to the Aborigines of the land; the
Aworis for their wonderful support.
I want to
call on other tribes all over Nigeria to allow non-indigenes to contest
elections in their areas. I do not see any reason why a Yoruba or Igbo or
South-South person cannot win election in Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, etc. In the same
vein, a Yoruba or Hausa person should be able to win election in Port Harcourt,
Onitsha, Warri, etc.
I would
like to thank PDP – the People Democratic Party for giving me the opportunity
to contest the election on their platform. It is only the PDP that gave
non-indigenes such opportunity to contest in the primaries and in the
elections. I promise the people of Amuwo Odofin that I will not disappoint
them. You have elected me to make laws for the betterment of Nigeria and I will
do it to your satisfaction.
Let me
say that my victory is for the good people of Amuwo Odofin. With this victory,
the road is open for non-indigenes to contest for election wherever they may
live in Nigeria. If Oghene Emma Egoh can make it, you can also win. Another
lesson we learn from my victory is resilience. Never you give up in your
pursuit of life.
This is
the third time I am contesting election to represent Amuwo Odofin at the
federal level in the last 18 years. If I can make it after 18 years of trying,
you can also achieve your ambition and dreams if only you remain focus and
pursue your vision with perseverance and determination.
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