Ogun belongs to APC — we’ll win massively in Remo by-election, says Yilwatda

Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Ogun state remains a stronghold of the party.

Yilwatda spoke on Thursday at the Gateway International Airport, in Iperu, Ogun state, on his way to Abuja after attending the party’s campaign finale in Sagamu.

The APC chairman said residents will demonstrate the strength by voting massively for the party in Saturday’s by-election for the Remo federal constituency seat.

Yilwatda described the airport as “a game changer” capable of opening the state to the outside world.

“We have known the APC as a progressive party with progressive policies and programmes, and this is one of them,” he said.

“Creating a new economy out of Ogun state, ensuring that Ogun state is open to the world, and that is the reason we are here: to ensure that the national assembly from Ogun state is populated by the APC, and we are sure that we will achieve this.

“I am not trying to look down on any political party, but I don’t think there is any other political party aside from the APC; we have only one party.

“Anyone who votes for any other party aside from the APC is wasting their vote. I look forward to winning massively in Ogun state. It is our terrain, it is our state, it is our environment.”

The APC chairman said President Bola Tinubu wants the state to “align with the centre”.

“He wants your votes to be given to our candidate; he needs her to be part of the national assembly,” he added.

“We want to have the west, we want to have the south, we want to have the north; we want the party to be a national party, and she is that voice, she is that person, she is that woman that we await in the national assembly.”

Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, said adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure residents can exercise their franchise.

“I am the executive governor of this state, and by the power conferred on me as the chief security officer of this state, it would not be right if I did not ensure that necessary steps are taken to ensure that we have free, transparent, and successful elections,” Abiodun said.

“I believe the security architecture is fully briefed. This election will be peaceful; we will do anything to ensure that our citizens go out and exercise their franchise without anyone disturbing them.

“I have warned that if you are not planning to go out and vote peacefully, stay at home and stay away from the ballot boxes because we will deal with you decisively.”

The governor recalled the violence that characterised the 2023 general election and LG polls, including thuggery, ballot box snatching, and attempted assassinations.

He vowed that such occurrences would not be tolerated this time.

“We will not tolerate any disturbances of any kind, and the truth is that it is the APC that lost a house of representatives seat, and we are simply trying to replace it with another woman,” he said.

“We are adequately prepared, as we have gone to every ward, and I have visited all the local government areas in the constituency, campaigning for our candidate.

“I have mobilised all and sundry, so I expect that come Saturday, the election will go peacefully and transparently, and it will be a landslide victory in favour of the APC.”

Abiodun said his administration has taken steps to promote inter-party tolerance and maintain a peaceful atmosphere, which he noted has improved the state’s ranking in foreign direct investment.