Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko
By Sandra Chukwunyere
According to the community, despite their significant contributions to the party’s success in the 2023 general elections, they have been marginalized and overlooked.
In a statement sent to Newspoint247 on Friday, June 6th and signed by the Apex leader of Arewa Community, APC, Lagos West II, Hon. (Dr.) Ibrahim Tanko, the community expressed its total displeasure over the continued marginalization by Lagos State APC.
The message reads, “we worked tirelessly and relentlessly during the past general elections,particularly, in 2023, leading dedicated and loyal members of the Arewa Community in Lagos State to achieve a significant victory for virtually all elective offices, both at state and national levels on the APC platform.
“In previous elections, the Arewa ethnic group, alongside Hon. Tanko, as the apex leader of the Arewa APC, Lagos West II, risked their lives and fought passionately to actively participate in the general elections. However, they now feel overlooked, forgotten, and abandoned after those frantic efforts.
“The community did not receive even a simple thank you or courtesy visit by some of their elected representatives in the APC, which they find painful.
“The situation in Lagos State drastically changed since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
During the previous tenure, the Arewa Community had ten councillors and supervisory councillors representing them in Lagos State.
“However, now they have only one Arewa councillorship aspirant who successfully advanced through the recent local government primaries. This drastic reduction has left the community feeling marginalized and disenfranchised.
“Moreover, some of the National Assembly members who were elected with the support of the Arewa Community have done nothing to support the community in terms of demonstrating true democracy.
Senator Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule of Lagos West Senatorial District and Hon. Kalejaye Adeboye, who represents Ajeromi Ifelodun in the Federal House of Representatives, are examples of such members. Despite the community’s significant contributions to their victories, they have been abandoned and ignored”
The Arewa Community Forum can still recall the sacrifices and efforts they made before and during the last general elections in 2023. They actively solicited votes in favour of the APC, and their community voted overwhelmingly for the party.
“The group contributed significantly to the campaign by donating over three hundred buses to the APC in South West. As the Arewa APC apex leader, Lagos West II, Hon. (Dr.) Ibrahim Tanko was tasked with ensuring the success of all local governments and LCDAS in Lagos West II (a total of 10), which they successfully achieved.
“At his personal expense, Hon. Tanko erected numerous billboards and distributed thousands of campaign posters, T-shirts, faze caps, handbills, and various other campaign materials.
“Many of the elected officials, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, and others are currently occupying their offices and chambers, courtesy of the collective efforts, hard work, and financial contributions of the Arewa Community. However, they seem to have forgotten all the sacrifices made by the community
“In light of this and other related issues that we cannot fully address here, there is no gainsaying that we lack the boldness to effectively solicit votes from our community in the forthcoming Local Government elections, and the subsequent general elections in 2027.”
The Arewa Community Forum has urged the APC leadership to listen to their concerns and address them speedily for the benefit of the party and the nation at large.
We hope that by bringing their grievances to the public’s attention, the party leadership will take necessary steps to rectify the situation and recognize the contributions of the Arewa Community.
“The community’s complaint is aimed at creating public awareness and prompting the APC leadership to take action” it concluded.
