Rep. Babajimi Benson, Member of the House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, has taken the Ikorodu Division Road to 250,000 Votes grassroots engagement to Ikorodu West and Igbogbo-Baiyeku Local Council Development Areas, engaging community leaders, traditional leaders, the political class, market leaders, CDC and CDA representatives, youths and other key stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tagged “Engagement with Jimi Benson,” the initiative focused on strengthening the relationship between the existing political structure and grassroots community networks, while creating an avenue for direct interaction, knowledge-sharing and stronger civic and electoral participation.

Speaking to residents and stakeholders in Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, Benson appreciated them for voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election, noting that they supported the party and the President even when they had not fully witnessed their capacity.

He conveyed the message of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat to the people, assuring them that they had not seen anything yet, while stating that more developmental projects were coming to Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA and Ikorodu Federal Constituency as a whole.

Executive Chairman of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, Omo’ba Hammed Ọlálékan Aroyewun, applauded Rep. Benson for his great work and impactful contributions to the development of the council and Ikorodu Federal Constituency.

Aroyewun appreciated Benson’s efforts and assured him of the massive support and votes of the people of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA in the forthcoming election.

Ogboni Fuad Alade Oki, in his contribution, noted that constituents of Ikorodu Federal Constituency owed a political debt to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which, according to him, should be repaid by doubling the votes recorded in the 2023 general election.

Oki noted that President Tinubu had continued to approve remarkable projects for Ikorodu Federal Constituency in recognition of its strong electoral performance. He therefore urged residents and supporters to intensify their mobilisation ahead of 2027 so that Rep. Benson could return to his political father and proudly report that Ikorodu had taken the first position again, thereby attracting more dividends of democracy to the constituency.

He stressed that everyone has a role to play in the mobilisation process, including Muslims, Christians, Traditionalists and, most especially, youths, whom he urged to take active roles in their respective polling units. He noted that collective participation across the grassroots would be critical to achieving the 250,000-vote goal for Ikorodu Division.

Asiwaju Kaoli Olusanya, Asiwaju of Ibeshe Land and former Lagos East Vice Chairman of the APC, also charged stakeholders and residents to remain committed to grassroots mobilisation, stressing the importance of taking the message of the party and its candidates to the people and ensuring that support at the community level translates into votes during the 2027 elections.

The Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Abiodun Moshood Aro, who served as Guest Speaker, equally called for stronger grassroots mobilisation and participation. He urged political leaders, community stakeholders and residents to work together and consolidate the support base across the constituency towards actualising the 250,000-vote target for Ikorodu Division.

The engagement in Ikorodu West and Igbogbo-Baiyeku was designed to bridge the gap between local council administrations, the existing political structure and grassroots communities represented by Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs).

In Ikorodu West LCDA, the engagement was hosted by the Executive Chairman, Otunba Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, FCIA, who provided the platform for interaction with political office holders and community representatives across the council.

The engagement thereafter proceeded to Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, where Executive Chairman Omo’ba Hammed Ọlálékan Aroyewun similarly provided the platform for interaction with political office holders and community representatives.

The sessions provided practical knowledge on grassroots organisation, community engagement and electoral participation, including discussions around the dynamics of the Ikorodu Division Road to 250,000 Votes objective.

Mayor Deen Sanwoola, Director-General of the initiative, emphasised the need to bridge the gap between the existing APC party structure and the CDCs and CDAs if Ikorodu Division’s 250,000-vote target is to be achieved.

Sanwoola pointed out that there are instances where councillors and council appointees do not know the chairmen and executives of CDAs within their communities, while some CDA chairmen are also unfamiliar with the wards their home CDAs belong to and their boundaries.

He stressed that CDAs are closer to the real voters and possess significant grassroots influence that can complement the existing political structure, adding that recent data on APC party registration compared with voter registration further demonstrates the need for stronger collaboration.

The engagement provided a platform for community leaders, traditional leaders, market leaders, political stakeholders, CDC and CDA representatives, youths and other grassroots actors to interact directly, share their perspectives and identify ways of strengthening mobilisation across the division.

The stakeholders collectively emphasised the need for sustained engagement, stronger coordination between political structures and community networks, and active participation at the polling-unit level to translate the strength of Ikorodu’s grassroots into the targeted 250,000 votes.