By Habeeb Ibrahim
Two of the chairmanship candidates present at the 3rd Ikorodu Local Government Debate on Sunday, QS. Abdulazeez Awesu of the Labour Party and Princess Sadiat Odofin, chose not to proceed with the debate following the absence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Prince Adedayo Ladega.
The debate, held on June 29, 2025, at the Ikorodu Ultra-Modern Town Hall, was convened by the R.E.A.L Initiative in collaboration with Ikorodu Division Youth, and supported by The IMPACT Newspaper, R.B.E.A.V Initiatives, CCI, and the Mass Communication Department of LASUSTECH.
Although the event was designed to provide a platform for all candidates to engage in open dialogue, only Awesu and Odofin were present. They each used the opportunity to introduce themselves but refrained from participating in a full debate.
Awesu explained that he would not continue with the event in the absence of other parties, citing his personal commitment to fairness and balance in political representation.
Similarly, Odofin raised concerns about the level of public awareness of the event and recommended that future debates be better publicized and possibly rescheduled to attract broader participation.
Both candidates nonetheless commended the organisers for creating a civic platform that encourages political engagement at the grassroots level.
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Abolaji Oluwaseun Elesho noted that while the situation was less than ideal, it was understandable. He emphasized the importance of the electorate actively engaging with political candidates outside partisan campaign settings.
The chairman of the debate committee, Mr. SOK Shillings, added that the turnout should not be seen as a failure, pointing out that the presence of two candidates still contributed to the democratic process, even though the debate did not go as planned.
The organisers indicated that another engagement session may be held ahead of the July 12 local government election.
