What informed your resolve to aspire to govern Oyo State?
The inspiration behind the ambition is simply humanitarian. It is the need and the call to serve the people. Also, there is a saying that you can’t be on the sidelines and complain that a player is bad. You must be on that field as a player.
There is no way you can impact on the people better than to be in government. Government, whether by accident of design or history, is the major determinant of people’s lives. Whether you are a private entrepreneur or a public servant, the role of government is the hub. So, these are the things that made me to come from my professional area as a lawyer to say that I want to be the governor of Oyo State.
From legal practice to politics which is perceived as an area that is slippery and dirty; are you ready to play the game dirty?
For your information, my first degree was in Political Science after which I studied law. Indeed, there is no way you will have that kind of background that you will not be in politics. Politics, to me, is not dirty but the players make it dirty. When you have bad players, you get bad football. When you have good players, you get interesting game in return. When you witness Messi and Ronaldo play, what do you get there? .Quality football.
People believe that in a state where you have about 12 people aspiring for the governorship seat, it is believed that some of them are just bargaining; what they simply want is political recognition. Is this the same with you?
That’s absolutely incorrect. You see, things must be appreciated in its real context. Let me tell you this, if you are looking for a leader, you need to ask them certain things. What is that leader doing before he comes into politics? After politics, what would the leader go back to? Look at the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was a professional lawyer. He was a politician. After the politics of the First and Second Republic, Chief Awolowo went back to practice
because he was a professional lawyer. Most of the people who are using politics as a key for bargaining are busy bodies. You will always have people who want to bargain in the market because in a market, you have buyers and sellers.
People regard politics as buying and selling. Politics is not a place where you say these are professionals while these people are not. In politics, everybody is a player, as long as there are no barriers. But the question is what was that person doing before he ventures into politics. Secondly, what has he done for himself? Lawyers will always tell you that you can’t give what you don’t have. (Nemo dat quad non habeat). In fact, Lord Denning amplified it when he said you cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand. Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour said those who will lead you must be your servant. If you look at the parameters I have given you, these people who said they want to be this or that, I believe that by the time you critically examine them, they would not fall into any of these parameters. Obama is a lawyer, after office, he went back into office. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer, after office he went back to practice. So, I am not coming into politics because I don’t have something doing with my life, but the overwhelming goal is to change the system and get things better.
Do you think you have what it takes to defeat the person the incumbent governor may want to support?
I am in the same party with the governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and he has not said or told anybody that he’s supporting any candidate. He’s a party man and an excellent player, who will never impose anyone. All I know is that the governor will support the best candidate, and I know that I am the best candidate.
You said you are in the same party, APC with the incumbent governor, Senator Ajimobi. People have this impression that the change promised about three years ago is not what they are witnessing. What do you have to say to this?
You see, perception is different from reality, and it depends on where you are standing. The change mantra is not a knee-jerk thing. If you are standing on the side of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), you will never see the change that has happened. In the history of Nigeria, there has never been a time that looted money has been massively recovered from looters. The only period you can probably ascribe to in the modern history of Nigeria was when President
Muhammadu Buhari and Idiagbon were in power as a military head of state. So, for me, that is a change.
Often times governorship aspirants reel out excellent ideas but the moment they get into that office, something happens to them and stop them from achieving those ideas, how would you react to this?
The people that offices often change have never had the interest of the people in their hearts. Will you say that office changed Chief Awolowo? Absolutely no. Will you say office changed Lateef Jakande? The late Chief Bola Ige was not changed by his office. Recently, Obama said something profound that this office does not make people. You are already what you are before you got into that office. Only those who have never done well that office makes them to misbehave.
Is your party not threatened with the constant utterances of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on the person of the President vis-à-vis the party?
We are in APC, let us leave Baba Obasanjo alone.
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