Dr Olusegun Osinkolu was the Director-General, Buhari/Osinbajo campaign in Ekiti State in 2019. In this interview with RASAQ IBRAHIM, he spoke about his senatorial ambition, the June 18 governorship poll and the need for APC to reward its loyal. members.
In less than three months, Ekiti people will go to poll to elect their next helmsman to succeed Governor Kayode Fayemi. Do you think APC stands a better chance of winning the poll?
Well, I am very optimistic that APC will win the June 18 governorship election on two bases. One, the incumbent governor and our indefatigable leader, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has done exceedingly well. Is it in the area of education, road infrastructure health, good governance, security, and social investment? Governor Fayemi, in my estimation, has done creditably well in all these areas and I know that Ekiti people are not ingrates, they will like to reciprocate the good gesture. Don’t forget that it was Governor Fayemi’s impressive performance in his first term that was rewarded in 2018, so we are still going to witness the same in 2022 with the way our people will vote for Biodun Oyebanji/Monisade Afuye joint ticket to consolidate on what Governor Fayemi has done. We can’t afford to return to Egypt and reverse the hands of the clock by abandoning a party that is already delivering for a party that had disappointed our people.
You said Fayemi has done creditably well and that APC will be rewarded. Can you corroborate this assertion?
If you go round Ekiti, you will see a myriad of projects springing everywhere. In Ado Ekiti, Governor Fayemi has built Civic Centre, construct Ado-Iyin dual carriageway, built four phases of buildings at the State Secretariat and the completion of the Ado-Ifaki dual carriageway is underway and being aggressively pursued. If you go through Ijan-Ekiti, you will clearly see the Knowledge Zone building, the Ijan-Igbemo- Ilupeju road, Agbado-Ode-Omuo road, Oye-Isan road, Igogo-Otun road, Aramoko-Erinjiyan road, the new Ekiti State Polytechnic at Isan Ekiti, upgrading of the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti to a world-class university, the building of four model schools in Ado Ekiti, among other achievements like the social security for 25,000 elderly above age 65, the Youth in commercial farming that benefited over 1,500 youth, free Healthcare services for pregnant women and children below age five, the establishment of Amotekun corps, free WAEC fee, while the procurement of a drone to secure Ekiti is also underway.
All these are areas where the ruling APC-led government under Governor Fayemi had contributed meaningfully and that it should be consolidated upon to bring the expected dividends of democracy to our people. We are not saying people should vote for us because we are members of APC, no, but they should vote for us on the basis of what we have been able to do in the last three and half years and these are verifiable facts. The records are there.
Are you not scared that the deep-seated internal wrangling caused by the January 27 governorship primary could affect the party ?
I don’t think so. Though I can’t deny the fact that the APC doesn’t has its own challenges just like every other political settings and human institutions, but we are addressing them. Don’t forget that President Muhammadu Buhari as the national leader had propelled the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee to set up Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led’s reconciliation committee and the panel is working hard. Knowing that we also have our own problem, the party hierarchy through the instrumentality of Governor Fayemi set up a reconciliation panel comprising heavyweights like Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi, former Deputy Governors Modupe Adelabu and Biodun Aluko and other party chieftains to reach out to the aggrieved members. We believe that before the end of April, we would have been able to resolve some of these crises substantially for us to have a common front to record victory in June. Getting to an election day with a divided home is not the best, but I am optimistic that all these challenges shall be resolved in the interest of all of us.
Going by the new Electoral Law, political parties will soon conduct their primaries for the 2023 presidential, National and State Assembly elections. Do you have any ambition?
Yes. I have always been contesting to be a Senator representing the Ekiti North Senatorial District. I did this in 2011, 2015 and 2019 respectively. If you check the records properly, I had always been performing well in the primary with me losing narrowly to the occupant of the seat in APC and I had not because of this rocked the boat, I am a loyal party man and loyalty must be rewarded this time. Each time I lost, I had taken my time to spend my hard-earned resources and time working hard for whoever our party picked to win the election. My belief had always been that the party is supreme and whatever decision it took must be respected. But this time, I think those of us who had been loyal and patient with the party’s decisions must be rewarded to further buoy loyalty among APC members.
Are you popular among the members of that district? What do you think stands you out?
Well, the APC has a lot of good human materials from Ekiti North Senatorial district. Coincidentally, Governor Kayode Fayemi is also from that axis. But facts are always sacred. The APC members from that axis knew who is their true friends. In the last 10 years, I have been having a good rapport with my party men and women giving them helping hands even when we were in opposition to a bleak future. I never minded, I have always made myself available to them. Let me tell you this, I almost gave up on this Senatorial ambition because God has really blessed me, but my people have been piling pressures on me urging me to contest. Some were even sending messages of hope to me that I have to contest that this time would be when my loyalty and contributions to APC will be rewarded. On this basis, I will be contesting for a Senatorial seat on the platform of our great party, APC, and I am confident, just like my people say that my loyalty will be compensated this time.
What other roles have you played in APC that could further propel your ambition?
Sorry for saying this, the essence of politics and leadership is doing good to your followers and humanity as a whole. Go to that Senatorial district and ask, I have done my best to empower so many people despite not holding any political position. This I have been doing across the five local governments in the district. I had performed this in terms of empowerment, financial help for emergency situations and distribution of Christmas gifts on a yearly basis whether we are in power or not. Again, in the last presidential election conducted in 2019, I was the Director-General, Buhari/ Osinbajo Campaign Council in Ekiti and we delivered Ekiti for Mr. President. I have read newspapers where those who held similar positions in other states were accusing the party of abandoning them by not giving them political positions. I have never done this because I am not desperate for anything and I am a loyal party man to the core. I see no reason why I should grumble if truly leadership is about service. But I know that I merit being compensated with that ticket in APC. Those who have not done half one what people like us have done are representing APC, why should I then be sidelined?
You know that entrenched interest is also part of the game. Are you confident that the APC leadership can look your way this time?
Yes, because the APC is a good party that rewards loyalty and patience. The party was formed to cater to the aspirations of all members who are qualified and ready for service. I have given my best to this party at both comfortable and trying times. Without being immodest, I am one of the few unifying factors for APC in Ekiti Oke as we called it. I remain one of those politicians from that axis that have displayed an utmost sense of dedication to our party and I am worth whatever I am aspiring for, it is a legitimate ambition going by what we have contributed to help APC become a strong party in Ekiti. We have given our best to this party, the people have seen it and they are working hard to ensure that the party recognises my efforts and crown such.
Are you expecting the party to impose you over others?
No, I hate any activity that runs contrary to the tenets of democracy. What someone like me can request is that the party conduct free, fair and credible party primary to test our popularity. This is the best way to grow our internal democracy. With the trend of things and with the way courts are nullifying primaries of parties, I expect our party to be more circumspect of how it picks its candidates this time. Let them follow due process to pick the candidate. They should also know that the ultimate power belongs to the people and if they are trying to apply consensus formula, let there be due diligence and observance of the consensus processes so that we can work together with unity of purpose to defeat the oppositions in the coming polls.
Do you have the popularity to win the Senatorial ticket?
The coming National assembly election in Ekiti will be more of popularity, trust and competence, because of what our people are presently experiencing. If you go to Ekiti North, our people are really bitter with the ruling APC because of that impression that the current occupant of the senatorial seat didn’t do well. He was largely considered too aloof from those who elected him. They are expecting a change of guard and APC must listen to them, they must not take the people for granted because we are in government. They need someone that has formidable grassroots acceptability and popularity, competence and trustworthiness and that is what I represent in that zone. We have been together through the thick and thin. Whether we are in government or not, we have always been together. I shall sustain this if the party can entrust me with the senatorial ticket because serving people selflessly is in my DNA, I don’t betray trust.
What are those things that you will do differently if given the ticket and win?
I will bring on board good performances, good representation, good rapport with my constituents. You may not understand what I am talking about, go to Ekiti North and make inquiries about my personality, they will tell you that I am one politician they can trust. I am one politician that is kind and close to the people. Even while abroad, I am still in constant touch with my people, I have an avenue through which I reach out to them, why should I now abandon them while in Abuja? I am a man of the people and I quite appreciate the fact that the leadership of the APC were aware of this and they had promised that the party will at the right time compensate my loyalty and I think the time should be now.