Members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebute Ipare, specifically from Mahin Ward 2 in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have protested the imposition of Mr. Oguniyi Emmanuel as the community Councillorship Candidate.
The protesters, all indigenes of Ebute Ipare, organized a peaceful protest on Monday to express their disapproval of Oguniyi Emmanuel’s choice.
They wielded placards with inscriptions such as ” Oguniyi is not from Ebute Ipare,” “Emmani, go to your town , you can not benefit from a community you are not from,” ” We say no to the imposition of Emmanuel Oguniyi,” among others.
Brandishing leaves and placards, the peaceful protesters had a walk round Ebute Ipare, chanting and singing songs that expressed their disapproval.
After the walk round the town , they converged at Igoemoni Community Grammar School, Ebute Ipare, where they addressed news men on their disaffection with the choice of Oguniyi which they claimed was a product of imposition as Councillorship candidate.
While addressing newsmen, the Youth Leader, Comrade Olanipkun Ojatuase said one person cannot be correct against indigenes of Ebute Ipare, noting that the people of Ipare are pleading with Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa not to allow the imposition of a complete stranger to stand as their Councillor.
He stressed that the politician who had initially imposed Oguniyi as Ward Chairman had already defected from APC , therefore Oguniyi should not be allowed to reap where he had not sown adding that Ebute Ipare has qualified sons of the land who can represent them as Councillor.
Another woman leader, Mrs. Anthonia Mafimisebi congratulated Gov. Aiyedatiwa for his victory , stressing that the community supported and would continue to support his administration while appealing to the governor to side equity by bringing an indigene of Ebute Ipare to emerge as their Councillor.
Ogundeji James, an elder statesman and a community leader in his address, said that the right thing for Gov. Aiyedatiwa was to allow a son of Ebute Ipare to represent the community now that local government administration has autonomy.