From Richard Akintade, Osogbo
People of “Ejigbo” have called for fairness, unity, and justice in the distribution of political power within the “Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo Federal Constituency”.
The call followed the reported press briefing organised by some cohorts of Hon. Bamidele Salam, the current representative of the constituency, for a third term in the House of Representatives.
Speaking on behalf of the Ogiyan-in-Council during a press conference held in Ejigbo, a community leader, Chief Olusola Olapade, stated that the Ejigbo community deserved the opportunity to produce the next representative for the federal constituency seat.
Chief Olapade recalled that about four years ago, the people of Ejigbo were given assurances and commitments that Ejigbo Local Government would produce the next candidate of the Accord Party for the House of Representatives election in the constituency.
According to him, such commitment should be honoured in the interest of fairness, inclusion, justice, and the spirit of the existing rotational understanding within the constituency. As a proverb says ‘ he who walks in the morning must not forget where he came from’.
He further called on party stakeholders and political leaders across the constituency to be fair and considerate in their decisions in order to avoid political tension and crisis within the federal constituency. For “when the drumbeat changes, the dance must also adjust.
Some traditional chiefs, including the Ejemu of Ejigbo Land, Chief Sarafadeen Oyelade, and the Magaji of Ogiyan, Prince Olasunbo Oyedade, also stated that Ejigbo would not accept any political arrangement capable of sidelining the local government in the power-sharing structure of the constituency.
They warned political actors in the constituency against arrangements that could lead to political disunity and what they described as “political suicide” for the constituency.
In another development, speaking on behalf of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens of Egbedore Local Government in the Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Hon. Azeez Kazeem also called for fairness and justice. He stressed that any attempt to grant Hon. Bamidele Salam a third term could negatively affect the existing political arrangement within the constituency.
Hon. Kazeem emphasized that the larger project of ensuring the re-election of Governor Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke requires inclusivity, balance, and equitable zoning of political offices. As Plato once observed, “Justice in the life and conduct of the state is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens”.
According to him, allowing a single individual to dominate the House of Representatives seat in a federal constituency comprising four local governments would make party cohesion difficult to sustain. “A tree that stands alone is easily uprooted by the wind”, he noted.
He further argued that if the interest of Governor Adeleke was truly at heart, Hon. Bamidele Salam would not have pursued a third-term ambition, especially considering that his second-term bid reportedly caused divisions within the party. He added that it took the intervention and commitment of influential party leaders four years ago to calm tensions and preserve unity within the political structure of the constituency. “He who has been carried on the back should not spit into the air”, he cautioned.
The coalition therefore urged leaders of the Accord to think critically and act wisely before taking any final decision on the matter, warning that failure to do so could trigger avoidable political unrest within the constituency. For as the elders say, “A stitch in time saves nine”.
Also speaking, Mrs. Olayinka Basirat from Egbedore emphasized the need for youths and political stakeholders to be fair and considerate in the distribution of political power across the constituency. She argued that, in the interest of equity and balanced representation, no local government should occupy the seat for more than one term or, at most, two consecutive terms. “Equity is not merely a principle in theory; it must breathe in the reality of today”, she stated.
It would be recalled that Hon. Bamidele Salam from Egbedore Local Government has represented the Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives for the past eight years.
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