The Igbo community in Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency has thrown its full weight behind Hon. Ayo Da-Silva, pledging an unwavering block vote in his favour ahead of the All Progressives Congress federal constituency primary election scheduled for May 18, in what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential endorsements of the 2027 election cycle in Lagos State.
The pledge was made during a community engagement meeting held on Tuesday, where leaders and representatives of the Igbo community in the constituency gathered to formally communicate their position to Da-Silva and reaffirm the collective resolve of their people to back his ambition with everything at their disposal, from mobilisation to the ballot itself.
The meeting carried a weight that went beyond political formality. For a community that has consistently been the electoral backbone of Amuwo Odofin, whose Igbo population cuts across the commercial and residential sprawl of FESTAC Town, Satellite Town, and Kirikiri, this was not merely a show of solidarity. It was a declaration of political alignment from a bloc that has historically determined the direction of federal elections in the constituency.
Addressing the gathering, Da-Silva struck a tone that was equal parts gratitude and conviction. He eulogised the Igbo community for the confidence they have chosen to place in him, drawing on what he described as a foundational truth about the nature of Igbo political loyalty. “I usually tell my folks, you cannot bribe the Igbo, they have money,” he said. “The only thing is for you to earn their trust. Once they trust you, they will follow you till the end of the world. I assure you of quality representation at the centre.”
It was the kind of statement that resonated precisely because it came from a man with history to back it. Da-Silva is no stranger to the Igbo community in Amuwo Odofin. In 2011, he won the federal constituency seat on the Peoples Democratic Party platform, a victory made possible in significant measure by the support of Igbo voters who saw in him a representative they could call their own. Though that election was subsequently cancelled on grounds of irregularities, the bond forged between Da-Silva and the Igbo community never dissolved. It deepened.
That depth of relationship has since been formally recognised. The community conferred on him the chieftancy title of Nwane di Namba Ndigbo, an honour that translates broadly as “The Number One Son of the Igbo People,” a designation that carries enormous cultural weight and is not bestowed lightly. It is a title reserved for those who have demonstrated sustained, selfless commitment to the welfare and dignity of the Igbo people, and in Da-Silva’s case, his supporters say it is one he has earned across decades of engagement.
The endorsement meeting comes on the heels of an earlier gesture that captured widespread attention across Lagos political circles. As this medium reported, the Igbo community in Amuwo Odofin took the extraordinary step of purchasing the House of Representatives Expression of Interest form on Da-Silva’s behalf, describing the act as a mark of their confidence in him and a public declaration of where their loyalty stands. That unsolicited gesture spoke volumes, and Tuesday’s meeting was its formal, organised continuation.
Da-Silva’s political journey to this point has itself been a study in strategic repositioning. Earlier in the month, he collapsed his entire PDP structure and defected to the APC, describing the move as a homecoming and pledging to bring all 14 wards of the constituency firmly under the APC umbrella. The defection was witnessed by Lagos GAC member Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Lagos State APC Secretary Hon. Adeola Jokomba, both of whom described it as a turning point for the party’s fortunes in Amuwo Odofin. With the APC having been unable to clinch the federal constituency seat since Da-Silva’s 2011 outing, his return to the party, now backed by the full force of Igbo community support, is being read by political analysts as a potentially decisive realignment ahead of 2027.
Hon. Chukwunenye Manager Obiesie (Akusinachi), who has been a consistent voice for the Igbo community’s position on Da-Silva, previously captured the sentiment with characteristic directness. “When our people deliberated, the resolution was unanimous,” he said. “This is a man we can trust with our votes, with our future, and with our voice in Abuja.”
As the APC primary draws near, the message from Amuwo Odofin’s Igbo community is unambiguous. They have chosen their man, they have backed that choice with action, and they intend to see it through to Abuja.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
