In this interview by Bankole Taiwo, a member of National Youth Mobilisation, Southwest of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling party, All Progressives Party (APC) from Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, Prince Adekunle Adebayo Ayoola speaks on the imperatives of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential aspiration as well as the re-election bid of Gov Dapo Abiodun, disclosing among other things that the victory of APC in the forthcoming elections will be landslide.
What do you make of the presidential rally holding in Ogun State today?
We are quite excited at the home coming of our dear incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the incumbent President, Muammadu Buhari in whom Ogun State people are well pleased because of their love for the state.
The coming of President Buhari is an opportunity to thank him for supporting the investment and infrastructural development of the state. We have the longest part of rehabilitated Lagos Ibadan expressway that is motorable again, we have standard gauge rail that crisscrosses the state and that will help us to develop similar redline that can deliver goods and passengers to Agbado from Odeda soon, private government partnership is already on paper. The presidential rally is an opportunity to also show massive support for our incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Sen Kashim Shettima. I am sure when they see the intimidating crowd and party supporters today, they will know that Ogun is ready to go all the way, it is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu all the way on February 25. It’s going to be resounding victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections.
What is your take on the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Sen Kashim Shettima?
BAT has a very rich history of what he has done as a private citizen and governor of Lagos State which makes him to stand out among all. He is prepared for the job with retinue of aides ready to help him to achieve the lofty idea of total transition of Nigeria system to a production and construction sites to fast track our development with. We all know Asiwaju to be very gifted in assembling those brilliant minds that could help to deliver on his action plans. We have seen the template and foundation of prosperity he laid in Lagos few years back translating into big achievement for all successors after his administration. So, we need such template for Nigeria and with continuity and APC in power we shall get it done faster for the benefit of all. I am so confident that the country will enjoy a quantum leap under Asiwaju.
As a member of National Youth Mobilisation, Southwest of Presidential Campaign Council of APC, can you please tell us some of what you are doing?
We have been doing great despite paucity of fund, our leader had been very supportive and as also a major stakeholder in this project, we have been playing our role to host many of our supporters, support with campaign materials, especially our constituents, canvassing for votes for our dear principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates. We have been organising series of programmes e.g PVC collection mini rallies across South West among others.
How confident are you about the victory of your party in the coming elections?
I am very confident of our party recording landslide victory in this coming elections. With great people of Nigeria turning out in their thousands to welcome us across the nation, we are naturally confident that we will win 2023 polls and we shall leave no stone unturned to achieve this. We shall do our best to campaign till last day as prescribed in Electoral Act so that we can reach more people before the deadline to vote for our great party.
You have also been at the forefront of second term campaign of Gov Dapo Abiodun, what’s your take on this?
It is so obvious that Gov Dapo Abiodun deserves a second term because he has delivered on electoral promises to Ogun State. This is a governor that has built over 1,000 blocks of classrooms, renovated and equipped over 150 primary healthcare centres likewise the state hospitals at Ilaro, Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode among others. In the area of road construction, the governor has been very exceptional because he has ensured that every part of the state is taken care of unlike what was obtainable in the past. Look at the newly reconstructed Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu expressway, now from interchange to Abeokuta is under 30 minutes. What of the newly dualised Ijebu Ode/Epe expressway with flyover, that singular effort has opened up that corridor of the state and that is good for the development of the state. The governor has equally done so well in the construction of many access roads across the 20 local government areas like the Idowa-Ala-Ibefun road in my local government, Odogbolu.
The governor has also kicked off the construction of the Agro-Cargo Airports that was abandoned by Amosun, and this will be a great catalyst to our economy with ACFTA taking off in 2025, we foresee Nigeria becoming a Trade Hub to reach other African countries from here soon.
Ogun State is a Gateway State and Dapo Abiodun is doing well to position us better to harness and build upon it for the common good of all. He opened up Ogun to Lagos from Epe/Ijebu Ode axis with an expressway. I was recently in Ilaro and I saw that construction of many internal roads were ongoing as well. I drove from Ilaro to Owode on a newly reconstructed road that used to be a nightmare for many years, so for DA, one good term deserves another.
The investment of Gov Dapo Abiodun in critical sectors of the economy like infrastructure, housing, good network of roads, education, health, youth and women empowerment among others are all spread across the state. This is a government that prides people’s welfare above anything.
The governor has always taken inputs of the people to mind and no wonder his success story. I strongly believe that he deserves another term, because when you have done well, the reward must come, our people in Ogun State must continue to enjoy the good works of Gov Abiodun beyond 2023. So, all hands must therefore be on deck to make his second term return a huge success.
In the area of housing, the governor has delivered over 1,200 affordable housing units, the governor is doing well too in agriculture, women and youth empowerment among others. We sincerely need someone like him to continue his good works beyond 2023.
What is your message to the people of Ogun and Nigeria as touching the forthcoming elections?
They should not hesitate to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Shetima, because this is a combined strength that will further take our dear country to greater heights. And in our state here, Gov Dapo Abiodun has done so well and so he should be voted massively for the second term. Our people especially in Ogun East should vote Otunba Gbenga Daniel as our next Senator as well as all APC candidates for a new dawn and continuity of purposeful development of our dear state and country.