An aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, Chief Olusola Oke, claims that he remains the most qualified, in terms of experience, to become the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial primary election.
Oke maintains that his experience in various facets of governance puts him ahead of other individuals jostling for the party’s ticket in April.
He declares, “There are three fundamental considerations for defining a politician: experiences in legislative business, party administration, and executive positions. I have attained these feats.
“I have been a lawmaker at the highest level. I have been a party administrator at the ward, local government, state, and national levels. I have also occupied several executive positions in government.
“Given my vast experiences in various facets, it is easy for me, for instance, to take care of party members and leaders; to run a party fairly and seamlessly while carrying along all critical stakeholders.
“It makes it easy for me to relate agreeably with lawmakers in the State, having been a lawmaker at the national level.
“Because I have also occupied several executive positions, it makes it easy for me to hit the ground running as soon as I take over the reins of office as governor of the State. I am not one to begin to learn on the job.”
According to Oke, who says he understands the peculiar needs of the state and its people, he has what it takes to make a visible difference by placing the State on the path of prosperity.
“I have lived all my life in this State. In my 67 years of existence, I have never been away from Ondo State for one year. That means I have been part of the suffering of the people.
“Being a victim myself means I know where the shoe pinches, and I must concede that I have the right ideas on how to provide solutions to the challenges.
“In the course of my political participations, I have toured the entire communities in Ondo State almost seven times. I participated in the campaign of Olomilua during the days of SDP, not in the manner we do it these days by visiting only the local government headquarters. We were going to every community, no matter how distant, detached, remote, or rural.
“It was in the course of touring Ondo State that I realized that there are certain locations in the northern part that we cannot access unless you first go to Ekiti before you come in.
“It was in the course of touring the State that there are communities in Ondo East, in the central senatorial district, that you cannot access unless you first go to Osun State before you can get in there.
“Agagu against Adefarati, which Adefarati won, I went round as Chairman of the State Campaign Committee; and Agagu against Mimiko, which Agagu lost in court, I also toured the entire State as Chairman of the State Campaign Committee.
“As a gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, I went round the State; I also toured the State as a candidate of AD.
“And contesting against Akeredolu at the intra-party level, I also toured the State. So, I am familiar with the good, the bad, and the ugly as far as Ondo State is concerned,” he said.
