3,000 food vendors in Oyo declare support for Buhari/Osinbajo

No fewer than 3,000 food vendors in Oyo State have declared their support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The vendors had on Wednesday staged a peaceful rally in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, to declare their support for Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the food vendors, drawn from the 33 Local Government Areas in the state, were those under the Federal Government Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

Mrs Toyosi Ajobo, the State Coordinator, said they decided to endorse and declare their support for Buhari, having measured the impact of the feeding programme on their lives and their children.

“We want to say to President Muhammadu Buhari that we are so grateful and we wish him good health. We, the food vendors in Oyo state, are so grateful for his kind gesture.

“As parents, we got the job to take care of our families and it is also good for our children from Primary 1 to 3.

“The number of school children is increasing and they are all happy staying in school as they eat free food.

“With all these, we are sure that Mr President wants progress for all Nigerians. With this food, children come to school early and even stay in school. We are grateful, as parents and as the vendors,” she said.

Ajobo also noted that the Buhari-led administration had done well in the area of agriculture, another reason for which the vendors were supporting the president’s second term bid.

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“Agriculture is improving. Before now, when farmers have excess produce, what they fail to sell end up as waste, which often discourage them from farming.

“But when the Federal Government started this initiative, farming has gone to another level and all farm produce are now in abundance and selling fast.

“We patronise the farmers and poultry producers who are always happy for creating the market to help mop up their farm produce. We are grateful to PMB for the efforts,” she said.

She thanked Gov. Abiola Ajimobi for allowing the state to be part of the first batch to accept the programme, saying they are grateful and better for it.

Mrs Bola Ajagbe, the State Financial Secretary of the group, expressed happiness that despite not being a politician or card-carrying member of any party, she was shortlisted to be a beneficiary of the scheme.

According to her, the transparent and non-partisan nature of the selection of the vendors makes the initiative a truly national project in the interest of the people and the country as a whole.

NAN reports that other road users suffered traffic gridlock as the vendors stormed the street with placards, singing various solidarity songs in support of Buhari.

NAN