Almost 12 months to the 2025 Local Government elections in the State, Member, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Rep Babajimi Adegoke Benson has charged leadership of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress in Ikorodu Division to create an enabling environment for healthy competition among aspirants in the build up to the party’s primaries.
Benson equally admonished the party leaders to allow merit to determine the choice of candidates that would fly the flag of the party during the election.
The Chairman, House of Reps Committee on Defence gave the advice while giving his opening remarks during the 3rd Edition of the I-Care Lecture Series held in Ikorodu yesterday.
Stressing the need for healthy competition among the scores of aspirants currently showing interests in the soon-to-be-vacant local government seats, Benson noted that the primary election that brought him into office in 2015 was highly competitive, urging Ikorodu Division APC leaders to replicate same in 2025.
‘My first sojourn in politics was in 2015 and the primaries was competitive and transparent. Everybody left the venue happy that they participated and that their votes counted’, he said.
‘So, that’s my assurance going forward, by 2025, I am going to be pushing for everything to be merit based and transparent. That is what it means to foster grassroots development through inclusiveness’, he added.
In the same vein, the Director-General of I-Care Foundation, Mayor Deen Sanwo-Ola has equally charged aspirants in the forthcoming local government elections not to feel entitled, noting that while they have the right to aspire, not all of them may be qualified to lead.
He therefore charged them to seek academic qualifications and expand their leadership capacities in order to be well positioned in the forthcoming party primary.
The I-Care Lecture Series is a platform for equipping and mentoring the political class in Ikorodu Division with requisite leadership skills and capacity development.
