THANK YOU IDANRE by Akinnawo

Thank you Idanre

_Akinnawo thank Idanre  for the opportunity

THANK YOU ALL

Oluwaseun Akinnawo

Today, I and ZLP team would have approached the poll hopeful to secure the people’s mandate to lead it on the State Assembly floor as Member representing Idanre Constituency, hoping by now our victory songs would Ve been loud and clear, but God knows the best. 

Losing out on the election, in all honesty, may invite despair on our goals, ambitions and hopes but I must beg of you all never to lose hope, never to abandon that which is worthwhile just because of momentary disappointment.

These past months have been spent traveling to every single nooks and cranny of Idanre with you, going door to door, shops to shops; negotiating treacherous roads to meet with and discuss with the people who are the soul of my commitment to this political pursuit in the first place.  I’m as inspired, I’m as hopeful as I’ve ever been in my life, and tonight’s loss does nothing to diminish the way I feel about the people of Idanre. 

Getting to be with, and have met with all of you reminds me of why we set out to do this in the first place. We’re not about being against anybody; we’re not about being against another political party. We’re not going to define ourselves by who or what we’re against, or afraid of, or scared of. We are a great people, ambitious, defined by our aspirations, the hard work we’re willing to commit in order to achieve them. 

Our goals were simple - give youths a chance, and find better ways to lead on the legislative floor in a way that directly impacts on our communal lives. Those goals do not change with this loss, rather it reinforces the need to do much more work and strengthen our bond.

I congratulate whose so ever that emerge of the contest, Idanre state constituency, and I wish him well going forward. My charge to him is to pledge his loyalty to the people first and use this mandate wisely. 

I am grateful to all. I am grateful to God. I am grateful to the leadership of my party, the ZLP, I am grateful to my parents and friends. I am more grateful to Idanre,  I love you all so much. 

I am so proud of you regardless. The kindness and generosity that you have shown to me, and to our campaign is amazing. It’s why my faith in this community, in this people as my kindreds, is in no way diminished at this moment. I know that we will continue to work to come together, to make sure that we live up to the promise and the potential of this  kingdom. I know it because I’ve met you everywhere that you are, I’ve listened to you everywhere that you live. 

             Oluwaseun Akinnawo
I want to thank my party, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for handing me the party ticket in the first place. I assure you that your support and encouragement greatly helped our effort and that the people of Idanre are likewise grateful to you. The leaders of our great party, Hon. Olaiya Ayewamide, Hon. Taye Akinyele and other leaders, Hon. Akinlayo, powerful Women Leader, Mrs Shade Marculey, Niyi Akintan,  Bro. Bode Igwe, youth leader major stakeholders, Baba Faro, Hon. Jerry Odesanmi, various ward Chairmen, campaign team, support team and tireless members who worked round the clock to see this campaign have my greatest thanks. Deeply, I am grateful. Our traditional fathers and leaders in Idanre have my thanks for their role in this election. Ultimately, we all want what is best for this land even if our definition of the way to go varies.

Again, I want to thank tonight my family and friends, most importantly my INNER HOUSE TEAM. I want to particularly thank this amazing people, not a dime for their efforts, all their belief in this movement. What a sacrifice. 

I appreciate everyone who knocked on doors, everyone who made phone calls, everyone who allowed themselves to hope and to believe and be inspired by one another and turn that into action and into votes. And to do something that no one thought was possible. To build a campaign like this one solely comprised of people from all walks of life, coming together, damning the differences and deciding that what unites us is far stronger than our differences was truly a beautiful moment forever etched in my heart. Thank you.

We came up against constituted interests, vested interests which prioritized not what the people truly need but what takes care of the narrow interest of some.

We were branded too fiery for daring to challenge the status quo and hounded for wanting to chart a better course through an improved value system and better and accessible leadership, yet we held our own and pushed back. This loss must not dampen our spirits but drive us to do more continually to benefit our people in and out of politics. 

It is the greatness to which we aspire, and the work that we’re willing to put into it to achieve it by which we will be known going forward. This campaign holds a very special place in the history of this constituency going forward, and you have made that possible.

This team of which we are all members in some way is going to stay together, is going to continue to aspire to do great things. It may be in individual races, in individual communities. It may have nothing to do with politics. But each of us will find a way we can make life better for those in our communities in Ondo state or Nigeria as a whole.

Just know this: I am forever changed in the most profoundly positive way. I am forever grateful to every single one of you for making this possible. I believe in you. I believe in Idanre. I believe in this country. And I love you more than words can express, and that love will persist every single day going forward, making sure that whatever we have created, whatever we have changed, and all of us will decide what that means and how far it goes, that it leads to something far greater than what we have today, and that all of us, every single one of us, continue to believe and make possible the greatness of our land. 

I am honored to have been able to do this with you. I am grateful forever, and we will see you out there down the road. Thank you all. Thank you, Idanre. Thank you every single one of you for making this possible. I am grateful. I am grateful. For ever.

God bless you.