Chief Solomon Sunday Chukwu, the Otun Amuludun of Orile Agege Kingdom and the Enyiwarauzo I of Oposi Kingdom, has broken his silence on the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) local government primaries.
Known for his grassroots leadership and political clarity, Chief Chukwu offered candid insights into the democratic process and the responsibilities of aspirants.Speaking on the customary four-year ritual of party primaries, he explained how aspiring Chairmen and Councillors pick up their nomination forms and prepare to lobby for support.
With ward and local government executives acting as delegates, the onus is on aspirants to canvass and convince.“I was one of the LG Excos who went to Acme to express our preferred candidates. No one compelled us, no one influenced us—we were free to vote based on our convictions,” Chief Chukwu noted.He recounted how Dodo emerged in Orile Agege and Tunde Azeez in Agege Local Government, asserting that Dodo was the only candidate who directly approached him.
“Others didn’t do their homework. As an LG Exco, no one else reached out to me. Some came to the election venue claiming they picked forms—I had no idea. How do you vote for someone you didn’t know was running?”In what he described as a failure in basic political strategy, he criticized certain aspirants as “lazy politicians” unable to mobilize even 25 Excos ahead of the primaries.
“How can you then expect to rally a million people in Agege? You can’t win a race you didn’t run.”On accusations of bias or external influence, Chief Solomon was clear: “Mr. Speaker didn’t call me. None of his aides did. I voted for the only person who campaigned to me.
”As the Deputy Director for Ethnic Groups in the state, and the leader of the Igbo community in Orile Agege and Agege, Chief Chukwu affirmed that mobilization efforts are in full swing for the July 12 election. Meetings have already been held with Arewa leaders, Seriki, and Eze Ndi Igbo, along with youth coalitions.
“We’ve been doing door-to-door mobilization, urging every ethnic group to vote APC. Our message is clear: the future belongs to those who show up. Our youths understand this. They’ve assured us of peace on election day.”Chief Chukwu’s message is simple yet resounding: responsibility lies on both sides—leaders must engage the grassroots, and voters must reward diligence.
