A former member of the House of Representatives for Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, Honourable Michael Adeniyi Omogbehin, in this interview, speaks on the readiness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16 Ondo State governorship election, his assessment of the All Progressives Congress-led administration in the state, among other issues. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI brings excerpts.
What makes the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, the candidate to beat in the forthcoming election?
His political and administrative experience and the record of performance of the previous PDP government in Ondo State. If you removed the infrastructure put in place by the PDP government, Ondo State would return to the pre-1999 era. Agboola Ajayi is well prepared for the task ahead. He has political experience, making him exceptionally prepared for the governorship role. He has been in the state politics since the 1990s. He became the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his ward and served as the party’s secretary at the local government level before becoming the Supervisory Councillor in his local government. He also served as the caretaker committee chairman and later became the elected chairman of the local government. Agboola Ajayi was elected as the member representing Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and eventually served as the deputy governor of Ondo State. Ajayi, who has spent his entire life in politics, possesses the experience to discharge any responsibility and turn around the state if given the opportunity. This is one of the reasons why he stands out as the most prepared candidate to become the next governor of the state
Agboola Ajayi is embarking on a journey that will transform Ondo State totally, a journey that will give us a state to be proud of. We will not give our people fish but we will teach them how to catch fish. That’s PDP for you. Apart from this, the people of the state know the PDP very well. They are going to choose wisely and allow the PDP to transform Ondo State into an economic base where everybody will be busy in terms of commerce and economic activities.
The PDP has complained about the backwardness of the state in the eight years of the APC at helm of affairs. Do you think your party would have done better?
Honestly, I do not just think that my party, the PDP, would have done better, there are records to show. The APC has failed woefully by all parameters of measuring good governance. They failed in security, education, infrastructure, health and agriculture. The people of Ondo State in particular have been severely affected, and they will not forget this. Ajayi is poised to offer a better alternative and bring succour to the people. The PDP is committed to addressing the economic concerns of the people and providing a better future for all Nigerians. We will not disappoint the people of Ondo State. The APC-led government has failed to deliver on its promises not only in the state but at the centre, too, leaving Nigerians to grapple with unprecedented hardship. As far as I know, there has been no development in the last eight years. Development has stagnated and critical infrastructures have remained in disrepair since the APC came to power in the state. But I want to assure you that with the PDP government, all these hardships will be reversed. Ajayi’s governorship will focus on progress and development.
What is the level of acceptance of the candidate by the people of the state?
Before the commencement of the campaign, the song everywhere by the APC members was that the PDP was dead. I am sure that as an independent observer, you must have been surprised by their silence and change of approach to their campaign. The PDP and its candidate have been overwhelmingly received across the state. We are looking forward to a peaceful, free and fair election where the Ondo State people will be allowed to elect their governor for the next four years.
What are the selling points of Ajayi in this election?
As I mentioned earlier, his experience and records of service are sufficient selling points for him. He has acquired enough leadership and political apprenticeship and discipleship to take him through.
You think he has what it takes to defeat the incumbent governor?
Once the election is free and fair, I can assure you that the incumbent will have no day in office beyond this tenure. There is no way he can win with one man, one vote in Ondo State. I said this because there is disconnection between the governor and people of the state. The programmes he said he had executed as governor are not the types that the people of Ondo State enjoyed under the previous governors. Under Governor Olusegun Mimiko, for instance, maternal health care was free. The same thing obtained in the area of social amenities. When Governor Olusegun Agagu of blessed memory was governor, it was a period of prosperity. The state prospered and there was prudence in the management of public finances. Every month, the amount of money that came into the coffers of the state was made known to the people. But under the APC-led administration, nobody knows how much the state has spent, especially in the last 10 months.
To what extent do the state chapter of the PDP and its candidate enjoy the support of party leaders at the national level and governors elected on the platform of the party?
So far so good. We in Ondo State PDP are not in any way tilted towards any camp in the ongoing feud at the national level. Politics is about crisis and crisis management. The national leaders know that after the Edo State election, the Ondo State election would be the litmus test of their leadership and would therefore put aside their differences and support the party’s candidate in Ondo State. We are going into the election with one voice and there is no crisis in the party’s fold in the state. You will notice that three PDP governors attended Ajayi’s campaign’s kick-off in support of his aspiration while other governors sent messages of encouragement. This robust backing reflects the confidence and unity among PDP governors on his candidacy.
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