ADETUNJI OLURIN, OGUN PDP GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE FLAGS OFF CAMPAIGN IN ILARO

On Wednesday 16th of March 2011, the sleepy, ancient town of Ilaro in Yewa, Ogun State woke up to the sound of blaring siren, hooting of cars and buses conveying thousands of supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and loyalists of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Minister of Commerce, Jubril Martins Kuye, who besieged the town to attend the flagging off of the governorship campaign of Tunji Olurin, the PDP Governorship flagbearer in Ogun State.

Olurin was born in Ilaro to the late Chief M.A.O Olurin, the Agoro of Ilaro and Madam Abigail Fola Olurin on the 3rd of December, 1946. So, you now know why he decided to start his campaign from his country home.

Adetunji Olurin's Ilaro campaign rally was a total carnival because the indigenes and residents of the town came out in thousands to join the party members and visitors to show love and solidarity support for their own son, who is contesting for the first time in the history of the Gateway State for the exalted position of Governor.

As the campaign train moved in convoys round the town, Ilaro sons and daughters, youth, artisans, trade unions, market women, students trooped out in groups, shouting the name of their own man, a retired general, and a two-time governor in Oyo State and an administrator in Ekiti State before the train finally stopped at the campaign rally ground, the premises of Gateway Multi-purpose hall, which was jam-packed by PDP faithfuls, who were gaily dressed in PDP customized native attires. 

After the national and Ogun anthems, which heralded the event, the master of ceremony, MC Shorunke, kick-started the campaign by singing the popular tune of King Sunny Ade, which was adapted by the party; “PDP yi ti gbogbo wa ni, ko ma gbodo baje” (PDP is for all of us, the party must not crumble) and everybody chorused it and this climaxed to the dancing of some notable PDP big-wigs on the rostrum. These include the current PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Dayo Soremi, the immediate past PDP Chairman, Elder Joju Fadairo, who danced with all his vigour, chorusing the song.

Also in attendance were other party chieftains, the Chairman of Olurin Campaign Committee, Hon. Sarafa Tunji Isola, Chairman, Media Campaign Committee, Chief Layi Labode, Minister of Commerce, Jubril Martins Kuye, Deputy Governorship Candidate, Tunde Olagunsoye, Chief Otemolu, Chief Mrs Titi Ajanaku, Captain Musa Borokini, PDP contestant for Federal House of Representatives for Yewa South/Ipokia Constituency, Senator Kola Bajomo, a former governorship aspirant in PDP for the forthcoming 2011 elections and a host of others. 

The party Chairman welcomed the party supporters and friends of Olurin, who came from abroad and the party chieftains spoke in turns on the various programmes PDP has in stock for the people of Ogun State. “My good people of Ogun State, central to my politics are the fact that I care. I care for the poor and the oppressed. I care because I believe everyone should be given equal opportunities to excel. In view of these, my covenant is to run a caring, participatory, responsive, transparent and accountable government that is based on the six cardinal programmes of my government; health, agricultures, social welfare youths and sports, poverty alleviation, commerce and industrialization and oil and gas,” he said.

April 05, 2011