Mr Moyosola Oladunni is a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State. In this interview with Soji Ajibola, he speaks on why the PDP will record victory in the forthcoming election in the state. Excerpts:As a successful businessman, whydid you venture into politics'I ventured into politics to effect a change in the lives of my people. I was a pioneer member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State. My late father was a renowned politician, likewise my mother. So, politics runs in my family.Why are you running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party'I think among all the political parties that we have in this country as at today, the PDP remains the only democratic party, as far as I am concerned. The party's umbrella is big enough to accommodate people.Because of the democratic principles of the PDP, especially the freedom of speech, that is why you see members of the party discussing their issues and the people get to know about them. It is the only party where conducts are publicly debated. It is the only party in Nigeria where, as an aspirant, your destiny lies in your hands. Your victory as an aspirant is guaranteed through hardwork and dedication.I won't go to a political party where your destiny is determined by an individual. It is quite unfortunate that people are having wrong impression about the democratic nature of the democratic family of the PDP and I blame that on the mode of reporting of the events that happen in the family. The PDP is the party where one thing happens and everybody gets to know about it and it is settled amicably and the party moves forward.When you talk about the people not enjoying the dividends of democracy, we also have responsibility of enlightening the people that governance does not lie solely on the shoulders of the Federal Government. Constitutionally speaking, we are expected to have three tiers of government; the federal, state and local governments. If you look at the nation's history, especially in terms of politics, you would discover that for most of these regions, right from independence, the rate of development have not been the same. We, therefore, cannot use what is obtainable in Lagos to assess the developmental strides of the PDP-governed states.I don't see any other parties performing better than PDP in term of governance. I have chosen the platform to actualise my aspirations because I believe that it is the only party where my hard work and the vision for the people can best be realised, without any individualistic manipulations.How would you realise your dream of leading Ondo State'If you look at the political history of the state, the voters are people who are enlightened and one of the most educated groups of people in the whole of the country. They look at the calibre of the people a particular political party is presenting. The electorate in the state are typically conscious of the level of organisation, as well as the ability of the party faithful in managing the affairs of the party.The truth is that, at the moment in the state, the party to beat is the PDP because it remains the party with a formidable structure, right from the ward to the federal level. I also try to consolidate and educate people on the need for them, this time round, to look at the positive change and I can assure you that by the time campaign starts, by the time the PDP presents its candidate, the people of the state will see the difference between the PDP and the other political parties.With the threat to take over the state by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), do you see PDP springing any surprise' When you talk about respected politicians, the only party where you can see get them is the PDP. When you to do comparative study, one should ask, who are the people behind PDP, ACN and who are left on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) in the state' If you put them on the same pedestal, you will find credible people in the PDP more than other political parties.Ordinarily, there are so many credible and better politicians in the PDP. More often than not, we find gladiators in other parties. The fact is that the ACN would still bring the same set of people, the people know them already and there is no surprise in that. When the time for electioneering comes, I can assure you that the people will know who to follow and who not to follow.What about the issue of godfatherism in Ondo politics'I don't know where you got the idea from, but the PDP, like I said before, is the only party where you have you have your destiny in your own hands. We don't have godfathers in PDP. We don't have factions; there is only one PDP and that is why today, we have an internal technical committee with the job of making the party one, from the ward to the state levels.There is an allegation that the PDP lacks internal democracy, what is your take on this'In this state, we are yet to see the guidelines for our primaries but I can assure you that we, members of the PDP, I mean everybody that is aspiring under the PDP, will be ready to comply with the framework and modalities through which candidates will emerge.What gives you the impression that you will emerge as the party candidate' Just like you know, every politician will want to be given a chance to perform. To my knowledge, I have been on the field. I have been working; I have consulted and I think by the time delegates decide, we will go to them and tell them what we have to offer and we have no doubt in our minds that we are going to attain victory.Compared to other aspirants, don't you think that age will work against you'Looking at what you just said, you will find out that age wise, it is coming down. The most important thing is not age but performance. Take for example, Governor Olusegun Mimiko came in younger this time around. I also expect to come in, much younger than Mimiko. I also look forward to someone who is younger than me to take over from me. So, it is the dynamism and vibrancy in us to make our state greater that matters.What, in your opinion, differentiates you from other aspirants'To start with, we need to change the orientation of the people. We need to make them more enterprising. We want to bring in enterprise in whatever we do and also vibrancy to the state. We will ensure absolute efficiency in terms of governance in the state. We have an antecedent which the people of the state can check. We have a good background that is opened to people. We are determined and capable of fulfilling our initiatives for the state.What about the power of incumbency'I don't think Governor Mimiko is interested in running for a second term, but the sycophants around him are the ones pushing him. As Commissioner for Health in the administration of the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, he campaigned against the second term bid and subsequently contested against him. Likewise as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under former Governor Olusegun Agagu, he (Governor Mimiko) did the same thing. He should not forget the past in a hurry.There was an insinuation that he was planning to cross carpet to PDP to actualise his ambition.From the feelers available to us, we believe the governor is lobbying seriously to contest on the platform of the PDP but we in the party are not bereft of credible candidate. This time round, we will not want to take any political liabilities.I only wish that the leaders of the party will be able to appraise the situation on the ground.Are you impressed with local government administration in the country'I do not subject to the idea of joint account. Local government administration should be completely independent. The state needs to create standard, I mean set performance standard indices. When we assume the mantle of leadership, we will effect a change by giving local government the independence it deserves.
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