Seeking reelection into any political office in Nigeria, be it at the federal level, state or even local council are no child’s play. It requires a combination of both human and financial resources, and political events and history testifies to the popular maxim that all politics are local.
And the difference between winning and losing often comes down to the campaign strategy the candidate or his team employs.
The strategy for campaign should be informed by the size of the electorate, the locality, public mindset, the timing, and methods of voter communication used.
In short, every election campaign needs a specific strategy that is influenced by the political climate it’s set in. And for a local election, winning supporters is largely about winning over the community of voters.
It is in the light of this fundamental truth that I discuss the significant roles of Mr Akintunde Tope Armstrong, a political Chieftain in Ogun State that carries the burden of the reelection bid of Prince Dapo Abiodun figuratively on his head, and doing so pleasurably well with impacts and consciousness already created across the local governments in the state, with dedicated grassroot coordinators who will deliver the votes come the next governorship election in the state.
If Prince Dapo Abiodun has loyalists like Armstrong in the three senatorial districts of the state, then, the election would be an easy ride.
Armstrong Tope Akintunde is a social democrat with conservative values, he is passionate about the people especially the youth who he believes are the engine room of any nation. Young, cute and compassionate, he is an entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer. He is currently the Executive Director on Special Projects at Suru Group Limited while he also doubles as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aerofield Homes Limited.
In midwifing his vision to contribute his quota to the victory of the Ogun State Governor and by extension, all candidates of the APC In Ogun State, he formed a group called’ “Dapo Abiodun Continuity Agenda”with plan to mobilise 200,000 votes to ensure the victory of Dapo Abiodun. During a recent event, which he addressed over 5,000 coordinators of the group at Iperu, Ogun State, he emphasized that the governor had done fantastically well in the sectors of the economy.
He said, “DACA is established to give solid backup for our great party APC, and just recently, the national secretariat of our party gave us recognition as one of party’s support groups.
“Obviously, we are out to ensure that Governor Dapo Abiodun returns to continue his good works. From Ogun East to Ogun West and Central, the infrastructural development is commendable and you really don’t disband a winning team.
“So we are on ground to mobilise at least 200,000 votes for the return of Gov Abiodun and of course all party candidates, including our father, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our next president by the grace of God.”
After distributing the campaign materials to the Coordinators at the programme, Armstrong urged them to go back to their various local governments and wards and begin to mobilise for the success of the party as 2023 general elections inch closer.
The Legal Adviser of the state’s All Progressives Congress, Isiaka Ojuroye also at the event commended Akintunde for his committed interest and huge investment in the success of the party
“As far as the 2023 elections are concerned, I want to plead with our coordinators to double up their efforts to return Governor Abiodun for another term and also ensure the victory for other candidates of the party including the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Governor Abiodun’s developmental projects in the state also make it easy for his team to market him. He has worked on major roads in all the three senatorial districts, including the much talked about 14-kilometer Ijebu-Ode-Epe road; Sagamu-Siun-Abeokuta road and the Atan-Lusada-Agbara-Marogbo Toll road linking Lagos, which is ongoing.
The icing on the cake of the Cargo Airport is the economic deals with African Development Bank (AfDB) to site an agro testing firm at Sagamu, because most of the agricultural products in Nigeria lack certification, which has made their exportation to other countries difficult. Also, there is Molusi road in Ijebu-Igbo, housing projects in Abeokuta and an imposing Gateway City Gate, a tourist site at the Sagamu interchange, amongst other projects.
While admitting that successive governments neglected some parts of the state, Gov Abiodun has begun to tackle the bad roads in the state. He is already providing palliative work to fix the craters on major roads in Akute, Alagbole, Olambe and Sango-Ota; while also working on permanent construction that will solve the problem once and for all.
The list of the achievements of Governor Abiodun cannot be exhausted in this piece. From Agriculture to health, transportation, infrastructure, empowering small businesses, giving women funds and resources to contribute to the economy of the state and tackling insecurity among others, are just few to mention among his scorecards.
Armstrong’s commitment and unalloyed loyalty to the Ogun State Governor is a course that should be undertaken by political students and all intending politicians should pray to have his ilk as a strategic partner.
Eze is a Journalist and a political media consultant in Lagos
