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Tag: aspirant

  • Anambra poll: I will serve a term, says aspirant

    Anambra poll: I will serve a term, says aspirant

    Former Secretary to the Anambra Statee Government Hon. Oseloka Obaze is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with NWANOSIKE ONU, he speaks on his ambition, the PDP crisis and Igbo agitations. 

    What are your chances in the governorship primary of your party?

    We are well known and acknowledged by the people across Anambra State. The grassroots and the elite alike appreciate fully our past service and unfettered commitment to good governance. The electioneering is yet to commence. when we arrive at that juncture, we should be able to showcase a governance platform, which should make us the most credible alternative and leadership choice.

    From which zone will you choose your running mate? Do you already have anyone in mind?

    Inclusive democracy is about consensus and consultations. We will cross the bridge of selecting a running mate when we get there. Be assured that the choice will be very credible and a good governance partner; not a subordinate or in the local parlance a deputy who is just a “spare tire.”

    Do you have confidence that PDP crisis will be settled soon to pave way for the party’s primary and emergence of a flag bearer?

    I’m by nature an optimist; and by training a problem solver and conflict resolution practitioner. But, I’m also a realist. When a conflict is not ripe for resolution, any forced attempt will fail. But, when the cost of collective failure outweighs the cost of individual success, people tend to come around. There is still ample room to rally the forces, and the key PDP players in Anambra are hard at work to find a mutually acceptable solution.

    Are you confident that you will eventually emerge as the flag bearer?

    If you go enter the finals of any competition with your second team or third team you risk losing. If you put forth the best or most qualified and most credible player or candidate, your chances of success becomes greater. Without any disrespect to those who have been “in the party for so many years” as you said: Did they deliver? Did they win? If they did, the party won’t be outside the government now. There is your answer. My hope is that we can rally all party players to a consensus and that the key players especially the recurring aspirants won’t become spoilers.

    The PDP is still in disarray, whither your candidacy should the crisis continues?

    Be kind to save that question and ask me the same on 18thNovember 2017 morning.

    In Anambra North, where you comes from, even the traditional rulers are consistent in saying Obiano is their candidate and he should be returned. what is your take on this?

    You engage in collectivized assertion and attribution. Who are these people? Are they the same people I’m consulting and talking to? Or are they the hirelings that parrot the master’s voice for crumbs off his table. You must understand that we are in a recession. People need to eat; but they do have conscience. Moreover, I’m least perturbed by such utterances, by people who are unconnected with their grassroots and have never secured victory at their respective polling booths. Anyway, politics for me is not and will never be a zero sum game. As our people say, “you count the miles after the race.”

    You served under Obiano, what are you going to correct now that you did not do then?

    Yes, I served well, loyally, honestly and diligently. 1 offered unvarnished advice and counsel. Yet, every leader brings to public office his vision, style and political and leadership DMA. Purposeful leadership is about management style, focus and a full grasp of the imperatives of good governance. If you know how to make institutions function efficiently, that’s half the battle; if you don’t, then you will have to grapple with a dysfunctional government. So it’s not a matter of correction as it is a stylistic and operational. We will offer accountability, cost-efficient optimization of institutions, full adherence to extant laws and due process, and unfettered service delivery all within available resources. We will make grassroots development and the efficacy of our local government and municipal council system the cornerstone of our governance. We will hold local government elections as required by the Constitution.

    The governor has not been using the Government House. What will be your approach when elected? 

    That the primary entrance to the Government House Complex is permanently locked does not mean there is a lockdown. It could be for security reason. It might also be indicative of the low energy and feebleness of government. I don’t know; so you may need to redirect these questions to the State authorities.

    Will you return power to the South District in 2022, if you win the election?

    I certainly will. I have to honour any deal made by our zone or by me in that regard. That is the only way to begin to reshape our politics and dispense with the notion that you can’t trust politicians. Moreover, I’m a student of politics and history; we are witnesses in this country to what happens when deals and promises are not kept. By 2022 Anambra North would have completed eight years; there should be room for others to contest.

    What is your manifesto? Can you share it with us?

    I will unveil my manifesto at the appropriate time. It’s very simple to understand and similarly simple to operationalize. It will deliver good governance in every sense of the word. With it, those in government will work for the people and not for special or vested interests. There will be accountability and transparency in government and we will put our people back to work. I will not disclose the key elements now, since we have noticed that people in the other camps appropriate my policy ideas and policy recommendations without the decency of giving us any credit.

    A new political party, the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), has just been formed. Where does the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of which you seek to use to actualize your dream stand in all these?

    Party politics is about accommodation and convergence of ideas, more so, where our parties are not ideologically based. The beauty of democracy is pluralism and broad representation. All the fuss about a meagre party fizzled. The registration of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) may yet prove propitious; it has some well-known backers. It if it is sufficiently inclusive will attract broad following, ft will certainly feature prominently in the 2017 elections. The more parties there are, the wider the choices and the stronger our democracy.

    Nigeria is at the cross roads again with the quit notice issued Igbo by Northern Youth Congress. Can this be the rumored prediction that Nigeria will disintegrate?

    I pray that Nigeria does not implode. As a nation, we are conversant with political brinksmanship; but we must not overplay our hands. It’s never wise to play with fire standing next to a tinderbox. It is up to the Nigeria political leadership not to allow the present political rascality to translate into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    There is so much tension due to sectional agitation. would you subscribe to the Call for a national discourse?

    Nigerians must talk to each other. There is too much grandstanding and triumphalism going on. In the life of any nation, holding national conversations is routine. You don’t wait to arrive to a tipping point before you engage your citizens fully. The ‘Vet’s wait-and-see attitude” could easily backfire. As regards the ongoing agitation, the reality is that Biafra as a word, in spirit or in history will not evaporate. Neither will Nigeria. The demands for restructuring or any of its other synonymous sobriquets boils down to three words and aspirations; equity, fairness and justice. Such goals ought not to be too hard to attain or extended to those who feel aggrieved in any way. Yet we have become so sectional that patriotism and national interest are badly eroded.

  • Ekiti 2018: Aspirant unveils five-point agenda

    Ekiti 2018: Aspirant unveils five-point agenda

    A Governorship aspirant on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in Ekiti State, Dr. Makanjuola Owolabi, has unveiled a five-point agenda for the state’s development.

    He also launched his campaign organisation, the Ekiti Restoration Agenda (ERA), to sell his candidacy to party delegates and the electorate in the 16 Local Government Areas.

    Speaking in his Aisegba-Ekiti country home, Owolabi, a medical practitioner, said leadership with character is what is needed in the state. He promised to restore the honour and integrity of Ekiti if he succeeds in the governorship election.

    His five-point development blueprint include Education, Quality Health Care, Infrastructural Development, Mechanized Agriculture and Good Governance.

    Owolabi, who has been practising for over 40 years, promised to float the Ekiti Health Insurance Scheme at primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions in the state to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme.

    On infrastructure, the aspirant pledged to carry out aggressive rural electrification programme and provide potable water, roads, bridges and affordable housing for the masses.

    He also promised to construct an agriculture airport for the exportation of cash crops. He pledged to make Ekiti the hub of commercial agriculture in Nigeria and depend less on the allocations from the Federation Account.

    Owolabi said he would provide good governance through zero tolerance for corruption, block leakages of revenue generation, provide security for citizens and ensure separation of power among the arms of government.

    He said: “I am in politics to serve the people of his state and to give them good governance using the maifesto of our great party, APC. Leadership with character is what is needed in Ekiti and Nigeria.

    “Politics is not about fighting and demolishing petrol stations; you don’t lead by punishing people I believe I can offer myself for the service of our people because if decent people don’t participate in politics, you end up beng governed by nonentities who are inferior to you.

    “Politics is about being a helper to yur neihour and the people around you and not eating “booli” (roasted plantain) at junctions.”

    Owolabi’s wife Edna, said her husband has acquired experience as a medical practitioner, employer of labour and a philanthropist, adding that he only wanted to use politics to give better life to Ekiti people.

    Some party chieftains at the occasion included Chief Biodun Akin-Fasae, Mr. Remi Osabusua, and Princess Omotunde Adelabu.

  • Aspirant congratulates flag bearer

    One of the chairmanship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, in the forthcoming Lagos State local government election scheduled for July 22, Hon. Peter Ajayi, has congratulated the flag bearer of the party in the area Hon. Monsuru Bello Oloyede.

    In a statement issued by the Peter Ajayi Campaign Organisation (PACO), Ajayi said the emergence of Bello as the candidate of the party “can be seen as the best decision by the party leadership”, because it does not mean that the other aspirants are not capable hands.

    He said only one person can emerge victorious in any competitive political contest and that it is appropriate for other aspirants to rally round the selected candidate to win at the general election.

    “I implore other aspirants to extend the hands of fellowship and the spirit of sportsmanship to the candidate, so as to ensure victory in the coming election. The party is bigger than all interests.”

  • ‘My plan for Ejigbo, by aspirant’

    A chairmanship aspirant in the forthcoming local government election in Lagos State, Mr Peter Omotayo Ajayi, has said he will make his local government a better place. He said he is running for the chairmanship position because he cares about his community and the state at large. He wants to go back, reach back, and give back to his community. To him, serving others is the greatest reward of all.

    For long, Ejigbo LCDA has everything backwards and upside down. In a true democracy, the people are in charge, not the elected officials. Elected leaders are public servants and should do the will of the public. That is what he plans to practice now in Ejigbo LCDA.

    He is running for the Chairmanship position of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the forthcoming Lagos State local government election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ajayi is running for public office because he is upset with the way local issues are being handled and wants to actualise his vision for Ejigbo LCDA.

    As a strong advocate for social change, he is fully immersed on human rights issues. Between 1999 and 2011, he served in different capacities with different organisations: administrative officer/group coordinator/chair, caretaker committee of Amnesty International Nigerian Section, Co-Convener Movement for Genuine Democracy in Nigeria, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Education and Reporting. Politically, Ajayi has served Ejigbo LCDA as Supervisor for Market and Revenue Generation, Chairman, Committee on Revenue for Ejigbo LCDA and Revenue Consultant to Ejigbo LCDA. During his appointment as Supervisor for Market and Revenue Generation, he worked assiduously and increased the revenue of the Council with 360 per cent, a record that was unprecedented.

    Ajayi is the founder and Executive Director of Salvage for Development Initiative (SDI), a think-tank arm of the APC. The SDI, through research and policy analysis, proffers solutions to socio-economic and political problems confronting governments in Nigeria. He is also the publisher of The View Magazine (online and print), which focuses on politics, corruption and general issues.

    While he was with human rights organisations, he participated at different committees such as human rights education, campaign and outreach, refugee/relief work, fundraising for investment and development. He chaired press and publication as well as the media and publicity organs of the committees.

    After the return of civil rule in 1999, he joined politics. In the Media Office of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the then headship of Mr. Sunday Dare, Ajayi was a Social Media Assistant, with the responsibility of managing and monitoring every online news report about the image and personality of his principal.

  • Aspirant promises infrastructural development

    A Chairmanship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming local government election in Lagos State, Hon. Adesina Williams, has said she will provide infrastructural projects that will lift the Igando/Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA), if she is elected.

    Hon. Williams, who had served a term in the LCDA as chairman, pledged her loyalty to all residents of the LCDA, including women, youths and monarchs. She promised to adjust wherever she had made mistakes during her first tenure.

    She said she would ensure that all the ongoing projects were completed, adding that she would start other projects that would benefit the residents.

    She spoke at a meeting with youths and the women wing of the ruling parting (APC) at her office in Igando.

    She promised to run an all-inclusive government, carrying everybody along to ensure harmonious relationship among party members.

    She said she renovated many roads, schools, hospitals as well as took care of the monarchs within the LCDA during her last tenure. She noted that many of the projects embarked upon were yet to be completed, appealing to the electorate to vote for her to enable her to complete her vision of making the LCDA one of the best in the state.

    She pledged to organise workshops that would enable youths and women to become productive and self-reliant.

    Williams assured the residents of the LCDA that her administration would continue to bring succour to the plights of the residents and do more in infrastructural provision as embarked upon in her first term in office.

    She implored residents, the party’s contestants and the opposition to continue to support Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in his efforts to transform the state to a mega city.

    She urged them to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    She praised Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu whom she described as a great leader and mentor of all members in the party.

  • Ekiti governorship aspirant decries youth unemployment

    Ekiti governorship aspirant decries youth unemployment

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Yinka Akerele, has advised political office holders to address the growing youth unemployment in the country, before it gets out of hand.

    Akerele made the remark while speaking with reporters after visiting the APC office in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, to declare his intention.

    The aspirant said the number of graduates, artisans and skilled workers out of job is alarming. He also suggested the inclusion of youths in leadership at all levels of government.

    Akerele said: “The youth needs to be more actively involved in the decision-making process; we should always get them engaged in lofty causes. I implore the privileged in society to concentrate on finding ways of creating employment opportunities for the army of the unemployed youths. This could be done by tapping our entrepreneurial skills, and creating business opportunities. This will save the country from an impending danger of the unemployment time bomb.”

    He advised co-contestants to shun acts that can cause animosity among them, adding that what should be paramount in their minds is victory for the party. He said whoever wins still remains a member of the party and it is victory for all.

    Akerele said: “I appeal to my co-aspirants to do everything humanly possible to avoid divisive tendencies preparatory to the primary. Our commitment towards the party’s goal should remain sacrosanct; the mission of wrestling power from the usurpers must dwarf other negative tendencies. Therefore, we must work in unison and remain united until we wrest power from the present government.”

    Akerele spoke about his intention to use the available human and economic resources to develop the state. He stressed the need to return the state to the path of glory. He added: “My priority is returning our dear Ekiti State to the path of glory; the pride of being an Ekiti indigene is being known for righteousness, academic excellence, high moral standard and the other good virtues.”

    The APC chieftain said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, led by Governor Ayodele Fayose, has run the state aground in the last three years and assaulted the very sanctity of what the state stands for. As a result, he said the people are ready for change.

    He added: “This is time for new beginning in Ekiti; the highest dream of the founding fathers of Ekiti State is to occupy the land with character and ensure it remains a place for the breeding of the virtuous that are exemplary in characters and in deeds.”

  • Council poll: Aspirant promises youth centre

    Council poll: Aspirant promises youth centre

    As the council polls draw nearer, a chairmanship aspirant in Ojodu Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), Mayowa Adebola, has promised to build an ultramodern centre for the youths, where they can “Connect, Collaborate and Create”.
    Adebola, a United Kingdom (UK)-trained Engineer, said: “The all-in-one centre will be the first of its kind in the region providing the teeming youths the required skills and training to either become employable or to start their own businesses. Training will range from Computer Programming to Graphic Design, Music production to Fashion Design, Architecture to Agriculture just to mention a few.
    “Ojodu LCDA probably has the largest youth population next only to areas like Ikorodu and perhaps Badagry. The youth make up about 80 per cent and they cannot be overlooked. I am one of them, I represent them. We need to harness their potentials effectively in order to extract value for the greater public.”
    Having lived for many years within the community, he believes the position will afford him the opportunity to turn the lives of his people around for the better.
    Born in 1985, Adebola said the council could be turned to economic hub.
    “Ojodu is a border town and a major gateway into Lagos State and as such is a landing pad for migrants coming from other states. With rural to urban migration steadily on the rise coupled with the ongoing rehabilitation works and infrastructure being built by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the area is set to become an economic hub in the near future.”
    According to him, the global campaign Not too Young to Run launched by the United Nations (UN), which promotes the right of young people to run for public office has led to a surge in the amount of young aspirants vying for public office in the country.

  • Aspirant pledges grassroots development

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Adamson Ayinde has called on all stakeholders in the Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to unite for the progress and development of the council.

    Addressing reporters at a rally in Lagos, he said the council has been neglected by past chairmen of the council, noting that youth restiveness, unemployment and under-development would give way if competent hands were elected to run the affairs of the council.

    Ayinde who said he would contest for the chairmanship position of the council in order to fast-track the council’s development, added that he was familiar with the needs of the people.

    He said: “I want to bring about the much-needed change in the council. There are a lot of things that need to be put right in the Onigbongbo council. These are things people with vibrant and dynamic minds can contemplate and implement.

    “Politics has to do with bold ideas and not just sitting somewhere and toy with the collective destiny of the people. The youth need to be employed. Onigbongbo council has a lot of viable opportunities.

    “We will create one-stop investment centre with the council serving as intermediary. It would be between the investors coming in and the state government. The people that will be employed will seek the investors that will turn the council around. The health care system will be improved upon for the people’s benefit.

    “The one-stop investment centre will increase the internally generated revenue at a very high rate. Those to be engaged will go round to look for investors to tap the council’s resources. The collapsed industries in Onigbogbogbo will be revived.

    “Most industries  have been turned into car parks or event centres. What needs to be done is to meet with owners of the properties to discuss ways of reviving the industries. Once they come in, the corporate social responsibilities will be taken care of.”

    He said greed was responsible for under-development at the grassroots, noting that it was time the people thought deeply before they choose their leaders.

    “As a young man full of life and strength, I am aware that the past administration failed the people. It did not meet their yearnings. With the experience I have garnered so far at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, the political terrain and as a grassroots politician, I am aware of the pains of the people and ready to ameliorate their sufferings.

    “A leader must be willing to defend his people; he should be able to take responsibilities and must be aware of the problem they face. He should be in a position to tackle the problems which I strongly believe that I can.

    “Onigbongbo is not working, but we thank God for Govenor Akinwunmi Ambode who is trying to change the system to enable it work. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led the country for 16 years without much prospect. With the APC government, there are hopes that things will work well again in the country,” he said.

  • Ekiti 2018: Aspirant unfolds plans

    Ekiti 2018: Aspirant unfolds plans

    An aviation expert, Dr Makanjuola Owolabi, has joined the long list of aspirants vying for the Ekiti 2018 governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
    He has promised to ‘restore Ekiti dignity’, if elected governor at the poll next year.
    Owolabi unfolded his plans during a courtesy visit to the APC Secretariat in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. He was received by party leaders, including Deputy Chairman Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye, Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun, Women Leader Mrs. Dupe Bakare, party chairmen from the three senatorial districts and other members of State Working Committee.
    The aspirant was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Edna Owolabi, representatives of the traditional ruler of his hometown, Aisegba Ekiti, the Apalufin, Oba Solomon Omotoyinbo.
    Owolabi is an aviation consultant and the facilitator of Aerospace Medicine in Africa.
    He said his intention to rule the state is strengthened by the saying of the philosopher, Plato, that “when good people refuse to participate in politics,they end up being governed by the inferior.”
    Dr. Owolabi said he has a unique plan to bring positive change to the state, adding: “That is what brought about the slogan ‘Ekiti Restoration Agenda’ (ERA).”
    He said the redemption of Ekiti would be achieved in seven different phases: “Mentality of honour; self worth of Ekiti; collective sense of responsibility; fertile land; sense of signity; leadership endowment and fear of God/family value.
    He added that three obstacles must be swept away from the state. The obstacles, according to him, are: “transactional commercialised politics; bastardised Yoruba culture; thuggery and laziness.”
    The aspirant therefore charged the leadership of the party to be impartial and transparent in handling the primary election which would lead to the selection of the governorship candidate.
    The APC Deputy Chairman, Mrs. Olaleye,who stood in for the State Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe declared that Owolabi is one of the best materials out of the contestants so far.
    While describing the APC as “the root of democracy” Olaleye implored the aspirant to fulfill his campaign promises when he gets to the position.
    She promised that the party would be fair to all aspirants running on the platform of the party and deliver a primary that would be a model in the annals of the state.
    Mrs. Olaleye said contrary to speculations that over 38 contestants have come out in the APC, Dr. Owolabi is the fifth contestant to officially inform the party of his intent to run on its platform.
    However, the Ekiti APC Elders’ Forum has appealed to the aspirants to conduct themselves within the ambit of the party’s constitution by shunning desperation and uncouth statements as the governorship poll draws nearer.
    The elders said the body won’t support any aspirant who will win election and abandon them as witnessed in the past.
    The Chairman of the Forum, Chief George Akosile, spoke in Igbara Odo, Ekiti, in Ekiti South West Local Government, while playing host to a former member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi.
    Faparusi, who visited the elders in furtherance of his aspiration, canvassed for the zoning of the governorship ticket to the South senatorial district. The elders described the idea as a legitimate right.
    The chairman of the forum implored those calling for zoning to reach out to all party stakeholders to achieve their goal.
    Akosile said : “Though we are elders, but we can play prominent role in government. We can be appointed based on our experiences. We don’t want any aspirant to ride on our back only to abandon us when they get there”.
    The former federal lawmaker added: “This is the first public declaration that I would do since I started this consultation and this underscores the fact that I will never abandon you if I get there.
    “I can’t disparage your experiences and your contributions to our party and whoever does so is risking his political future.
    “I have passion to develop Ekiti. Though, we might not have oil, but we have brains which we can deploy like Finland and Israel, who rely on agriculture and technology to develop their economies.
    “As I speak with you, I have never worked for anybody in my life. I took up my own job after graduation despite that I came from a poor background. Today, I have close to 100 per sons working for me. So, whoever that will lead Ekiti must first display dexterity at his own level”.
    Faparusi begged the leaders to help in amplifying the advocacy for zoning to make it sink deeper into the minds of the party leaders , both at the state and national levels.

  • Why I want to be Ejigbo chairman, by aspirant

    THE Chairman of the Committee on Revenue Generation in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mr. Peter Ajayi, has declared his intention to vie for the chairmanship ticket of the party in the forthcoming local government election.

    Ajayi said the people of Ejigbo have been yearning for a positive change and that he has the ability, desire and leadership skills to consolidate on the visions of the APC in Ejigbo LCDA this time around. The aspirant believes he is ripe for the position, because he had yielded to the advice and decision of the party leadership to step down several times in the past.

    He said their persistent calls for a brilliant and creative chairman as an agent of positive change that would improve their welfare and well-being serve as great incentive and motivation for him to contest as chairman of the council. “Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, resist or reject the call to give my service and sacrifice to my people,” he added.

    Ajayi, who is also the publisher of The View Magazine and the Executive Director of the Salvage for Development Initiatives (SDI), a non-governmental organisation, described himself as a passionate and committed member of the APC who has volunteered and worked to assist other APC members win elections in the area on a number of occasions.

    He said: “Having lived all my productive adult life in Ejigbo, I have a sincere appreciation for this thriving community. I care about Ejigbo and see its potentials. I want to be involved in the decisions that will shape our city’s future. I want to execute a vision of leadership, accountability, transparency, and creating partnerships with other progressives in Ejigbo community.

    “I have held different positions in Ejigbo LCDA such as Supervisor, Market and Revenue Generation, Consultant on Revenue Generation, and a two-term Chairman of Committee on Revenue Generation. Serving in these capacities has been interesting and it is an experience for which I will be forever grateful and very proud of.”