Omooba Abayomi Adesanya is the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State. He spoke with DAMISI OJO on preparations for next year’s governorship elections and others partisan issues.
What are the challenges confronting the APC in Ondo State?
Constructive criticism and objectivity are our watchword in the APC. The task of being the party’s spokesman in Ondo State, as an opposition political party, is enormous and very challenging, because of the maladministration of the Mimiko-led government in the state. There are so many ills of the government that need our attention and that of the public. The present government has deceived the people with a lot of failed promises and programmes; with directionless and clueless policies. More importantly, our people were hoodwinked and bought over with cash, ranging from between N2,000 to N5,000 during the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly elections. This attitude of the people must change. We need to re-orientate and change their psyche, reactivate their consciousness and educate them on the power of their votes.
So, being in the opposition is tasking, especially when the government in power is under-performing. My team and I are proactive and have been forced to be on internet almost all the time, reading through pages of newspapers everyday, monitoring all government policies and reaching out to the grassroots. For sure, the feedbacks indicate that the people are reacting positively to our criticisms.
The governorship election is scheduled for next year. How prepared is your party?
Our strategy is simple: The people; the electorate. As a party, we do not have any other plan or strategy outside and beyond the people of Ondo State, both at home and in diaspora. They have been misruled and misled all this while by the present Mimiko-led PDP administration. The good people of Ondo State are now yearning for change. Mind you, their votes have started counting since the 2015 general elections, thereby making rigging unfashionable. Once again, our strategy centres on the people of the state. Thanks to the ‘almighty Card Readers’
Is the APC on ground in Ondo State, going by dismal outing during the April 11 House of Assembly poll?
We are on ground. Let me tell you — and you even know better than I do — that the APC is a party to beat in this state. With the numerical strength of our membership of over 400,000 and still counting, we are battle ready to defeat and beat the PDP blue and black come 2016 governorship election. I remembered when we held the second APC State Publicity Secretaries Summit hosted by Lagos State Chapter, from March 18 to 20, 2015; prior to the 2015 presidential elections. It was titled “Ready For Change”. A Professor of Political Science from the University of Lagos, delivered the keynote address. With statistics, he rated Ondo State political parties as follows: APC 20 per cent; PDP 70 per cent; others 10 per cent, but I quickly disagreed with him and told the gathering that, the Ondo State APC garnered between 60 per cent and 75 per cent votes for Buhari during the presidential election.
You were aware of the boasting and bragging of the PDP Southwest Coordinator for Goodluck Jonathan 2015 Presidential Campaign, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, that he will return one million votes for Jonathan in Ondo State. Probably that was the yardstick the Professor used and because Mimiko is a sitting governor, the Professor must have put this into consideration when ceding the state to the PDP. But, what happened? The PDP was defeated disgracefully in the state. Not only that, Mimiko was beaten in his polling unit and ward; he couldn’t wait for the votes to be counted, before he drove off with his entourage.
The April 11 House of Assembly election was a charade, characterised with violence, intimidation, killing, snatching of election materials, especially in South and Central senatorial districts of the state. The situation was so bad that a first class Oba in Ondo South was fingered in the case of hijack of election materials.
You always describe the Mimiko administration as non-performing. What do you think the APC has in stock to change the tempo, if it comes to power?
My criticism of this administration has been constructive and issue-based. Exposing the ills and anti-people policies of Mimiko’s government. He runs the state like an emperor and with deceit. Our governor has failed in all his electoral promises. His regime has been a dark period in the history of Ondo State. Nothing is working. Ondo State has about 11 state-owned industries or more, but today none is working. Oluwa Glass Factory, Igbokoda, with 5,000 workforce is moribund, Okitipupa Oil Palm Plantation with about 1,600 staff strength is dysfunctional, Owena Mass Transit is in extinction, Ifon Ceramics is history, the state Forest Reserve (afforestation) has been deforestated, Owena Dam and the water cooperation that usually supply pipe-borne water to every home in the state is now a dream. The ever functional General and Specialist Hospitals, Clinics and Maternity Homes built in all the villages and towns across the state now exist in the imagination, Bolorunduro Timbre is gone, to mention but a few.
All these we are going to resuscitate and bring back to life when we get to power. Resuscitating them will create thousands of jobs opportunities to our teaming jobless youths. The APC government in Ondo State will build confidence and hope for the people. We are also targeting between 300 and 500 kilometres of roads in each of the 18 local government areas of the state, to open up the rural areas. We will also abide by our party’s manifesto to the letter.
What is missing in Ondo APC?
Every political party has peculiar make-up and challenges. Our dear country, Nigeria, has been faced with leadership challenges that has burrowed deep into the marrows of all spheres and departments of our lives. This leadership brouhaha has really affected every home; that is, the component units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as an entity. But, with Muhammadu Buhari as President, things are taking shape now.
The APC in Ondo State needs a more formidable and collective leadership than ever. A sincere leadership fulcrum and pivot with political patronages now that we are going into another governorship election. We cannot afford to disappoint our teaming supporters and sympathisers that are clamouring for change, because of selfish and petty issues. The people see us as the last hope; an alternative to the PDP.
The electorates are tired of the wasteful government of deceit that has held our state for ransom since it came on board in 2009.
