WHAT informed your decision to contest on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)'I will ask you to show me any party that has a clear cut ideology, an ideology that will stand the test of time, a quality framework that is holistic, that can win election without that magomago (electoral malpractice) that is the usual thing in Nigeria politics. Show me any party that has the antecedents of a progressive ideology; an ideology that is based on benefitting the greatest number of people, rather than a chosen few or the so-called cabal.The ACN was formed from the Action Congress (AC), which itself was formed from the Alliance for Democracy (AD). The AD came from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which also was an offshoot of the Unity Party of Nigeria ( UPN), which was formed from the from the Action Group (AG) and the ideologies of these parties have always been the same, a social welfare ideology. I am a social welfarist; I know people need to have access to qualitative education, good health care and other social amenities. ACN, I say again, is the only party today that creates that platform which I believe in.Can you tell us some of the plans you have for the people when you get to power'I always say it is not about Oluwakayode Adeyemi.Enikan kii je awa de (A person does not constitute a group). It's a group effort. People of like minds are going to come together to help move our state, Ondo State, forward; to help show how governance works. I can tell you A and B and C now, that will be Oluwakayode Adeyemi speaking. But when we are going to form our government; a government I aim and hope to be the head of, it is going to be a collective decision of our projects and views and what we are going to do.What we are promising you is dividends of good governance and not dividends of democracy. Dividends of democracy is an anomaly, an aberration and it is false. The fact that you are granting me this interview is part of the dividends of democracy, freedom of speech; freedom to vote and be voted for.Where do the youths, the women and the children come into your plan'Youths are the leaders of today and not the leaders of tomorrow. Twenty-five years ago, we were told we are the leaders of tomorrow. Has that tomorrow not come' We have to nurture the youths on how to lead the country, the state, the community now; not until some people think they are ripe for governance.Every time I go around the state, the community and see youths loafing about, wasting their time'even today, I saw a young boy cleaning the wind shield of a car and in my mind, it was like it should not be. The boy should not be where I saw him. Why can't he enjoy the dividends of good governance which will provide education, health care'Youths are at the forefront of my mind and we have programmes for them. How they are going to be off the streets and be gainfully engaged in aspects they are talented in' You educate them but not just education of just passing through the nursery to the primary and secondary schools to the university; education is a process of enlightenment. If we enlighten the minds of the youths, they will be useful for themselves, their immediate communities and parents.We will enlighten them. The youths, the women and the older ones would be enlightened and definitely empowered economically and socially. That is one of our focal agenda.How do you intend to tackle the issue of godfatherism, in order to be able to deliver the dividends of good governance to the people'Godfatherism' I don't know about that, but I know that when I was baptised, I had a godfather. In the Catholic Church, those are the people who guide a young person who has just been born into a new life and teach him what salvation is.Overall, God is my own Godfather. I trust in Him, He guides me and I believe so strongly in Him. Going deeply into godfatherism in politics, we are Yorubas, we believe in elders leading and guiding us. For example, let me paint a picture. To gain experience, you have to be taught; someone needs to show you how things are done; if that is what you call godfatherism, it is your own lingo.The elders need to show us how to tread the path of life; how to live this life so that we don't make mistakes, they have tread the path before us. That does not translate into the elders interfering in our affairs.
Click here to read full news..
