African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, has expressed the confidence that the people of the state will put an end to a government of ‘me, my wife and my children’ in the state by voting out the All Progressives Congress (APC) on March 2, 2019.
Lanlehin, who spoke at a news conference in Ibadan on Wednesday shortly before the Oyo South Senatorial district meeting of ADC, said the government of Governor Abiola Ajimobi would terminate in May next year and anybody has promised to continue the governor’s “legacy of suffering and deprivation” would not be accepted by the people of the state.
The ADC candidate said the struggle to unseat the APC-led government in the state was a “concerted and synchronised one,” adding that ADC, which he described a coalition of five political groups and parties, remains the party to beat in the election.
He said he was particularly paid at the level of unemployment in the state, the state of inner roads, education and health sectors, vowing to implement an integrated development agenda for the state from next year as governor.
While promising to prioritise agriculture through the resuscitation of extant farm settlements and location of cottage industries close to them as well as integrated rural-urban development, he assured the people of the state that he would bring back technical and trade schools to re-tool artisans and give required skills to the educated.
“The people have decided that enough is enough. This anti-people government must go in 2019. Inner roads are not being built. One contract of billions of naira spent on one road can build all the inner roads in the cities of Oyo, Ibadan, Iseyin, Saki and Kishi. Industries are not being revamped, particularly the one that deals with bitumen, tractors that have gone moribund.
“The inner cities have decayed and we are going to start our campaign by going to the people. I don’t need much money to live on. God has been gracious to me. But I want to leave a legacy.
“We will restructure the education system as far as the constitution allows us. I am going to be a governor who will support restructuring because the presidential system that we currently run is corrupt, costly and unproductive.
“Every month, he goes to look for international investors. I stand to be corrected, tell me one investor that has been brought to the state. The only thing we heard was that he is bringing cows from Denmark. Are there no cows in the state?” he asked rhetorically.
Reacting to the defection of Senator Rashidi Ladoja from the ADC, he insisted that the Ibadan High Chief remained his leader, his father and a man for whom he still has a lot of respect, having come a long way with him.
He added that 95 to 97 per cent of those five parties that coalesced into ADC, including those from Ladoja group remained in ADC, adding “no one has abandoned anyone, in fact, 95 to 97 of people still remain with the ADC.”
On those sponsoring the campaign that his name was yet to be substituted and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lanlehin said there was no truth whatsoever n the report as his name is in INEC’s records as ADC governorship candidate.
Meanwhile, Lanlehin has appointed the trio of Honourables Lanre Agoro, Omotayo Oyetunji and Alhaji Ladi Oluokun Deputy Directors General of his campaign organisation.
Agoro, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, is a First Class graduate of Agricultural Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Masters Degree holder of the same university, where he also read Law.
The Igboho-born politician is to serve as Deputy Director General for Oyo North Senatorial District.
Also, Oyetunji, another former member of the House of Representatives and ex-Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ajimobi on Lands and Housing, is to serve as Deputy Director General, Oyo Central.
Similarly, Alhaji Oluokun, fondly called Lado, a former chairman, Ibadan North East Local Government, a United Kingdom graduate of Business and Computing and one of those who spearheaded Governor Ajimobi’s re-election is to serve as Deputy Director General, Oyo South.
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