Senator Iyabo Obasanjo has embarked on what appears to be one of her most extensive grassroots political mobilisation moves as she inaugurated about 370 Ward Coordinators across the six local government areas that make up the Ogun Central Senatorial District.
The inauguration, held at the Osoba Hill-Top, Abeokuta residence of the former senator, attracted a mammoth gathering of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) members and supporters, with no fewer than 10 representatives from each of the 75 wards and other party faithful, bringing the number of participants to well over 500.
For several hours, the expansive residence became a beehive of political activity as supporters poured in from different parts of Ogun Central, singing, dancing and expressing renewed enthusiasm about the unfolding political realignment in the senatorial zone.
The inauguration of the ward coordinators is widely seen as a major step in Senator Obasanjo’s determination to build a formidable grassroots structure across the Egba communities ahead of the forthcoming general election.
The six local governments that make up the district are Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Obafemi/Owode, Ewekoro and Ifo Council areas.
In a further demonstration of her determination to take the political mobilisation to the grassroots, Senator Obasanjo presented brand new motorcycles to the coordinators to aid movement, accessibility and penetration of communities and polling areas across the district.
The motorcycles, according to the political calculation behind the gesture, are expected to strengthen the capacity of the coordinators to reach the people at the ward and polling-unit levels, particularly in communities where transportation and accessibility could pose challenges to effective political organisation.
Addressing the jubilant gathering, Senator Obasanjo saluted the resilience and commitment of PDP members who, according to her, had remained steadfast despite the political challenges and setbacks experienced by the party over the years
She commended the members for standing firm and urged them not to lose faith, insisting that perseverance, unity and effective grassroots organisation would be critical to the party’s success.
Senator Obasanjo, who spoke passionately about her political vision for Ogun Central, vowed that if given the opportunity to represent the district, she would pursue what she described as effective and people-oriented representation.
She said her experience, political relationships and extensive network would be deployed to attract opportunities and ensure massive empowerment for the people of Ogun Central.
According to her, the people of the district deserve a fair share of the dividends of democracy and must not be left behind in the distribution of political opportunities, development initiatives and empowerment programmes.
She also disclosed that her decision to become actively involved in the political project followed consultations and appeals from several political stakeholders and leaders.
According to the senator, prominent political figures, including the PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, as well as many other stakeholders, had approached and encouraged her to lend her support, influence and political experience to the collective effort.
Senator Obasanjo, however, made it clear that her entry into the Ogun Central political contest would not be a symbolic one, declaring that she was prepared to build a structure capable of delivering impressive results for the PDP in the district.
In one of the strongest moments of her address, she challenged the newly inaugurated coordinators to work towards ensuring that Ogun Central emerged as a major electoral stronghold for the party.
The former senator consequently charged the ward coordinators to take their responsibilities seriously and begin immediately to build effective structures at the ward and polling-unit levels.
She emphasised that electoral victory would not be achieved merely through large rallies and public displays of popularity but through meticulous organisation, voter mobilisation and vigilance on election day.
“We must all stand by our votes and see them counting for us,” she told the coordinators amid loud cheers from the gathering.
The charge underscored the strategic importance she attached not only to mobilising voters but also to protecting the outcome of the electoral process.
Senator Obasanjo urged party members to remain resolute in the face of what she described as intimidation, oppression or other actions by those determined to retain political power.
She assured the gathering that courage, unity and determination would be required to overcome the obstacles that might confront the party and its supporters.
According to her, the people must be prepared to challenge what she described as years of political misfortune and ensure a reversal of the situation through democratic means.
“We are going to reverse the years of misfortune foisted on the people by the APC,” she declared, urging the PDP members not to allow fear or discouragement weaken their resolve.
She called on the coordinators to see their appointments not as ceremonial positions but as a serious assignment that placed on them the responsibility of reconnecting the party with the people at the grassroots.
The inauguration also provided a vivid demonstration of the organisational direction Senator Obasanjo intends to pursue as political activities gather momentum ahead of the general election.
Rather than relying solely on high-profile political endorsements, the former senator appears to be investing considerable attention in building a bottom-up structure, with ward-level coordination expected to serve as the foundation for wider mobilisation across Ogun Central.
The large turnout at the Osoba Hilltop residence, the festive atmosphere that accompanied the exercise and the decision to provide motorcycles for field operations combined to give the event the appearance of more than an ordinary political meeting.
