All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant in Ekiti South District Ayodele Adu spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU and SINA FADARE on his agenda and other partisan issues.
You have a flourishing career in the banking world. What attracted you to politics?
According to a German philosopher, a political illiterate is the worst of illiterates. The inaction of those who do not participate in politics is what causes the social injustices we are all talking about in the society. They don’t know that not participating in politics make the price of rice in the market to go beyond the reach of the common man.
If you are not participating in politics, you are killing the economy and not helping the coming generation. As a man, no matter how comfortable you are, you must find a way of contributing your quota to the development of others and see how you can impact into the lives of the people. The zeal to do that has encouraged me to go into politics.
In my constituency, l see a lot of poverty. Even, at times, it is difficult for people to raise their children’s school fees when l was growing up. So, I made up my mind that, if l have the opportunity, l will assist all those that are in need. At my private level, l have been trying to give succour to the needy and meet a lot of people’s demand in my little way. If l have the opportunity to serve the people therefore, l will be able to take care of their needs at a global level. For example, l have given scholarship to some people, donated to community projects and assisted in one way or the order, but there is little one can do at an individual level. That is why l want to be in politics so that l can render more services to my people. If you are in government, you can see to policy formulation and execution, especially policies that have direct positive impact on millions of people. The Senate, which l am aspiring to go, is a place where you discuss the fortune of the country.
I want to go to the Senate to utilise my wealth of experience in the financial and stock exchange, which I have garnered in the last 16 years, so that the country at large will tap from this opportunity. In the US, erudite lawyers and professionals are in the Senate to rob minds together and come up with a law that will assist the country in its developments.
Technocrats are always afraid to swim in the murky waters of politics. What is the motivation?
There is always a challenge in any area of human endeavour. Politics is not exempted. I have the determination to serve my people in any capacity. That is why l want to go to the Senate. I like challenges and, like l have always overcome them in the past, l will do that of politics and I will have a remarkable achievement at the end.
Yes, Nigerian politics is murky, but it all depends on the approach and the tenacity of purpose that you put into it. In Ekiti, l have met with the chairmen of the 64 wards. They are more political and intelligent than l expected. I was able to lay my cards on the table and share my vision and dream of giving it all to the total emancipation of my people from poverty and penury that are ravaging them now. That is why l sold my profile to them. They are very excited about it and majority of them are praying that l will be their senator next year.
If you go to the state now and you talk to anybody on the street, they will tell you that that is our next senator because l was able to sell myself to the people and they are very passionate about my credential and humble background. Although the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be the party in power next year, that does not change anything because l parade one of the best credential and the people of the state will want me to represent them in the Senate without a recourse to any party. Take, for instance, if they want to talk on the issue of finance in the Senate, if l am fortunate to be there, definitely, l will play a major role because of my background.
How do you think you can make a difference from the previous people who had represented Ekiti in the Senate?
My main focus will be the irreversible investment. Ekiti people are agrarian in nature. There is poor economic development. You cannot create market, unless you create institutional changes there. I will try to use my contact, both locally and internationally, to benefit my community and my country at large.
In the past, the state was unlucky to have some people who are mere on lookers in the Senate and all their constituency allowances were spent on their family. They bought few okada and keke NAPEP. That is not how to empower the people. l can assure the people of Ekiti that a new dawn has come and an expert is about to go to the Senate to change their economic fortune.
What is your chance, in view of the politics of stomach infrastructure, which is in vogue now?
I still believe that the people of Ekiti did not practice the politics of stomach infrastructure. We have a politically conscious society and the people respect you for what you are and what you can offer, in terms of developmental programmes. They also did not like a situation where you take them for granted. They want you to accord them with little honour. They want to see that you are humble and that you can actually relate with them at any level and that you are accessible to them, especially at the point of their need. For example, l distributed about 30,000 exercise books when I declared my intention officially to my people. I had to give them to students going to school free of charge as my own little contribution to their educational success. This will encourage parents to save millions of naira that could have been expended on these books.
By so doing, in my little way, we are re- creating wealth. I donated the exercise books, not for any reason, apart for the fact that the students need them at this particular period that they are resuming and it will equally assist their parents. If that is the only way l can assist my people, l will do it in a million times, if l have the resources. I am always happy and fulfilled when l put smile on the faces of others.
What is the assurance that the APC will pick you as its candidate?
Credibility and high profile that l parade will be an advantage for me. My profile is all over the state and particularly, my senatorial district and it is verifiable. People know my background and the family. This election will not be on party basis. It will be based on personality. It is about the person who is qualified to be there and who will make an ppreciable impact. I have all what it takes to make a difference.
