Nigerians eager to vote APC– Meseko
The OdoApe community in Kabba Bunu local Government Area of kogi state has reiterated it’s commitment to recreates their Culture to foster Unity, national development and as a vehicle to fight insecurityI in the community.
This is just as the APC has allayed fears of one party state, assuring that the Nigeria people have resolved to return President Tinubu for the success of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
This was disclosed at the Odo-Ape Development and Cultural day celebration held on Saturday at the city centre.
In his welcome address, Jethro Ologbonyo, National President of Odo-Ape Development Association ODA described the celebration as cultural showcase and a fundraising platform for community development.
He highlighted the community”s rich culture, pointing to Egungun festival, Amoja songs, Egunda festival and traditional married system.
He stressed the need to safeguard institutions like Iyeolofosi and Iyeolughonle which he said embodies OdoApe core values of Unity and mutual respect.
While commending Governor Ododo for his support through donations and infrastructure projects, appeal to him to tackle pressing socio economic challenges facing the state.
He reaffirmed the community commitment to the APC Renewed Hope Agenda and called for generous donation to enable the community to drive local development.
The chief host of the cultural day, Mr. Durosinmi Meseko, a one time House of Representatives member and presently the Deputy Publicity Secretary of APC said, the celebration was a display of the rich culture of his people while showcasing it to the world.
He noted that the celebration is a reminder that the people are culturally connected to their forefathers who pass on the tradition to them.
pHe said culture in its raw form is the way of lives of the people which define who they are, stressing that they are trying hard to ensure those values are passed on to the next generations.
The former law maker stated that the celebration was to bring the world to their community in order to know the rich values and mores that the people have held to their chest assured of its continuity for the benefits of the society.
He pointed out that the importance of culture to the people of Odo Ape was to keep in line with their roots by reneging on negative values that impinge on the development and peaceful coexistence of the people.
He said beside the cultural day celebration, there are other festivals , such as Egungun (Masquerades) that sing songs to name and shame those with unwholesome behaviours who would be chided openly as deterrent to others.
” You know what it means to let the world know that we are what we are because of our culture and that is what we are celebrating. In OdoApe, we have Owe festival. During this festival, it is mainly done in the Night, where people sing songs to prevent people from misbehaving.
The Community used to have list of deviants, the folk songs are to call them out to feel ashamed of their misdeeds . The masquerades can foretell what will befall the community and provide solutions to it. This traditions are to guide our day to day living and we are determined to pass it to the next generations.” He disclosed.
Speaking further on the state of the Nation, Meseko said the APC needs strong opposition and would not do anything to stampede free and fair elections.
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He commended the Judiciary for the recent judgement on ADC urging them to go back to the drawing board and resolve their differences.
He decried the insinuations that the APC is foisting one party system on the polity, noting that , a country with 24 parties cannot be said to be a one party state.
He added that because people are trooping to APC does not make it a one Party, stressing that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu which is delivering good governance to the people was what Nigerians see to want to reelect President Tinubu and other candidates of APC.
He explained that the massive investment into the Security architecture is ensuring that the people will be able to sleep with their eyes open, admitting that the war against bandits and insurgents has been a hard one but the government is tackling it head on.
He said the robust reforms have been attested by the global institutions such as IMF and World Bank who have given the progressive verdict on the economy with massive growth of foreign reserves and crassing of staple food items in the market.
He said to this end, the people without any iota of doubt would overwhelmingly vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
In a remark, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo commended the people for holding on to their culture and traditions, urging them to uphold it to the next generations.
The Governor, represented by Secretary to the government of kogi, Dr. Ayoade Arike, noted that Kogi cherish culture as a unifying factor in shaping the behavior of the people, saying the more the people come together, the better for the peaceful coexistence across the state.
Ododo urge the people to unite to build a virile state where people will maximize their God given potentials.
He disclosed that the state has made substantial investments into security as the isolated cases of insecurity has been decimated.
He warned those informants and those supplying bandits with food items and others consumables to desist or would be fished out and punish according to the law.
Meanwhile, the custodian of Maize and yam roasting delicacies for the event, Mr. Moses Bello disclosed that the ritual signify oneness and unity as everyone irrespective of status jointly partake in the delicacies.
Highlights of the occasion was the cultural display by the age grades by shooting traditional guns, dance and songs.
