By Bukola Hameed
Mr. Kolapo Kola-Daisi, has won the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Oyo South Senatorial District.
The financial expert who is a son to foremost Nigerian industrialist, Bashorun Kola-Daisi (CON), and married to Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s daughter, polled 212 votes to defeat the incumbent, Kola Balogun, who scored 93 votes; former Oyo State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Sharafadeen Alli (107 votes); Adegboyega Adegoke (53 votes); Bimbo Adekanmbi (98 votes), Rotimi Adeniyi (four votes) and Waheed Olajide (two votes).
The primary, which could not hold on Friday as earlier planned, was rescheduled for Saturday and later Sunday due to inability of the aspirants and party leadership to resolve the discrepancies that arose on delegates’ lists.
The election was held yesterday at the Le Chatteau Event Centre at Bodija in Ibadan, the state capital, amidst heavy security.
In his reaction to the victory, the young Kola-Daisi thanked all who supported his dream to get involved in governance. He expressed admirable magnanimity in victory by saluting his co-aspirants’ efforts, while also inviting them to work together with him.
“Today, we took an important step towards getting involved to actualize meaningful governance and representation for the people…”, he stated.
“The members of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) spoke loudly to elect me as the flag bearer of our party for the Oyo South senatorial district.”
“I am thankful to God, my wife, members of my immediate family and my team for their overwhelming support. I am particularly grateful to the good people of Oyo South, especially our party faithful and leaders from all our nine (9) local governments, who encouraged us, taught us, inspired us and challenged us towards this victory”
It is a victory for getting involved together to achieve a kind of governance that befits and benefits us and our children.
As I look forward to fully realizing this possibility in the general elections, and as I remain humble in victory, I salute my fellow aspirants for putting up a good fight, and I invite them to collaborate with us on this eventful journey.
With Mr. Kolapo Kola-Daisi’s candidacy for Oyo South, the state will have an opportunity to elect one of the youngest ever Senators in Nigeria’s red chamber, living up to the participation mantra sounded around our nation’s youth.