Pastor Sandra Oladele is the founder of Oladele Williams Development and Empowerment Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that has empowered more than 5000 people. She is also a grass-roots politician who served as the Director of Protocol and Public Relations of the All Progressives Congress 2019 Presidential Campaign Council, South-West zone. In this interview with TAYO GESINDE, she speaks about her NGO, what motivated her to go into politics and why men should encourage women in politics. Excerpts:
Foray into politics
While in United Kingdom (UK), we started the London chapter of the Alliance For Democracy(AD). At the time, my uncle, the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, was the governor of Ondo State. Whenever the politicians came to London, we would host them. We were doing that until Baba as we fondly called him then, invited us for his campaign in Nigeria. During that time too, we met a lot of people. When you are in politics, you see a lot of things and you also want to contribute your own quota to the development of Nigeria. We were very active, so they used to invite us to Nigeria to attend their events. One day, President Olusegun Obasanjo and his wife came to London and we hosted them. At the party, when the former First Lady, the late (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo, sighted me. She was attracted by my gentle mien and high sense of fashion. She invited me to see her in Nigeria which I did. I met a lot of people and that was how I became involved in politics.
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Challenges I faced in politics
It is not always rosy. We were spending our resources and time to do what we were doing. After supporting some people into office, accessing them has always been a challenge, but I enjoyed what I was doing. I just wanted the right people at the right place. It was not money that motivated us into politics. We used our money to fund whatever we were doing, so it was not as if somebody had been giving us money somewhere. Though people have sometimes supported us in our programmes, but it is not that they are the financiers of our organisation.
Working as Director of Protocol of APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, South West Zone
Our campaign team was led by Chief Olusola Oke (SAN) who worked tirelessly and relentlessly for the success of the South West campaign. We went to all the nooks and crannies of the South West to campaign for the president. I enjoyed it, though we were moving day and night. We met all kinds of people. It was fun. I have never contested for any post and I don’t think, for now, I want to contest for any post. I just want to support the government to continue the good works it has started so that our country can be developed. If appointment comes, all well and good, because women need to be carried along in politics.
About my NGO
While growing up, I used to see my mum and dad distributing foodstuffs and money to people. Nobody came to our house and left empty-handed. They didn’t like people suffering around them. They always liked to share what they had with people. I took after them. You can’t come to my house and leave empty-handed. That was what gave birth to the NGO, the Oladele Empowerment and Development Foundation. The aim is to take care of the widows, orphans and under-privileged. I always pray to God to empower me with wealth that I can use to empower the needy and the under-privileged. Putting smiles on people’s faces has been my priority as well, sharing in people’s grieveances and pain in order to resolve their problems. I will go to any length in enhancing women and the less-privileged. It has been my passion and tradition for the past 20 years to celebrate my birthday with the under-privileged.
Women in politics
Any woman who wants to go into politics must stand right and be focused, fearless and God-fearing. Every woman must be determined about what she wants to do and how to go about it. There are lots of challenges that will occur but you must be focused and prayerful.
On the allegation that APC rigged the presidential election
It was not rigged. People voted for the person they liked. Somebody must win and somebody must lose. When you lose, take it in good faith and support the winning party in order to enhance the development of the country. Politics is not a do-or-die affair.
I urge all aspirants and people from the opposition parties to join hands with the president-elect, President Muhammadu Buhari, in developing, in leadership and in securing our dear nation.
The governor-elect of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, included people from other parties in his transition committee team. That is amazing. This shows a very high level of integrity and good leadership which will help in enhancing peace and development in the state and the nation at large.
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