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He has reportedly facilitated various Federal Government projects, ensured employment for over 450 youths and empowered thousands in the field of ICT. Given the fact that Ogun West Senatorial District has not produced the state governor since the creation of the state 38 years ago, Akinlade is seen as a strong contender for the governorship. Some of his supporters, however, believe that he stands a better chance by returning to the PDP to prosecute his ambition. They have already started making deft political moves to network with the PDP. In this interview with Bunmi Mustapha, this three-term lawmaker and guber aspirant opens up on why he is contesting for 2015 governorship election in Ogun state amongst other issues.
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Can you tell us exactly why you want to be the governor of Ogun State come 2015?
As a politician, we all have our purposes of being in politics. I am in politics to better the life of my people and having been in the National Assembly for some time now, I believe I have what it takes to govern the state, and I want to govern the state because, I believe Ogun State of today is not the state of our dreams; people are not happy, the government of the day doesn’t have people at heart and does not consider the people of Ogun state before taking any decision. People are looking forward to a change that will transform their lives to a better level, a change that will put food on the table of the average citizen of the state, a change that will transform the educational and health sector and also the economic activities of Ogun State. What we have in Ogun State today is a dull economy, because the government has lost touch with the people of the state. If you look at the constructions going on in Ogun state today, they are being handled by foreigners, we passed a bill in the National Assembly, which we call local content bill, which gives right to the citizens of the country or of a state, that there is a level of the local content that must be involved when awarding contracts, but in Ogun state, the average citizens like the workers and builders are not being involved in the project. So I believe Ogun State deserves better than what we have today which is one of the reason I want to become the governor of the state.
It took you a while before you defected to the PDP, at some point you were with Labor Party, but, why did you eventually decide to go back to PDP?
In politics, party is like a vehicle that will take you to your destination. Don’t forget my first and second term in the National Assembly was won under the umbrella of the PDP, and when I left I went to the ACN and I won the third term too. I left for many reasons, I contested for governorship under the PDP then but my dream was not actualized, since then I have had the ambition of becoming the governor of Ogun state so I went to the ACN and contested for the third term. I was never a member of the APC, if you are a good politician, you have to study the happenings in your locality. When I was with the ACN, I never followed them to the APC, but I was looking for a stop-gap before I finally made my decision, and the only alternative then was Labor Party so I was with them as a stop-gap, not as a card-carrying member. I was also talking to my people in the PDP, for possibilities of returning to my home. After consulting with a lot of stakeholders and meeting with my followers, I realized the best bet for me was to go back to the PDP, where I believe I can actualize my dreams and make Ogun a better state.
For more than 30 years now, the Yewa people have not been elected as governor, looking at what happened to them in the last election, due to the lack of unification of Yewa people, have they sorted out all the issues and come back together to support their own?
Well it’s actually close to 40 years now and no indigene of Yewa or Awori land has become a governor which is quite unfortunate, that also negates the principles of equity, justice and fair play. I am from Ogun West, Yewa land, but I’m aspiring to become the governor of Ogun state and not Yewa alone, but coming from Yewa land, I believe that for equity, fair play, justice and peaceful co-existence of people of Ogun, it will be our turn in 2015. We may have our own faults and flaws but I can tell you this time around the Yewa and Awori people have realized our mistakes and we have analyzed our faults, we have gone back to our drawing boards and have seen where we have been getting it wrong and what has been the missing link and I want to assure you today that from the traditional rulers, traders, students and everyone in Ogun West today, the unity that has been missing now exists and this time around the people of Ogun west are ready to support their own. What happened during the last election with General Olurin and my brother Gboyega Nasir Isiaka could not be avoided then.
Now that you are back in PDP how does it feel?
It’s like a home which will always be home, when you are in your house you feel comfortable and relaxed, going back to the PDP has been a dream come true, but even with that I salute the leadership of the ACN for giving me the platform to contest for the House of Representatives. Let’s not forget that I contested for governor in the last election with the incumbent governor but it will surprise you that I was adopted as the candidate of the party to contest for governor, I met about 8 aspirants in the race, and I was picked and anointed as the candidate for the job because it was resolved that it should go to Ogun west, Yewa to be precise, my name was forwarded to the leadership of the party, but the ACN, in their usual way of doing their things a week after, without any meeting or consultation, Ibikunle Amosun was given the ticket which was a painful one, about a month later Amosun left the party and went to CPC, and I was asked to come forward again to represent the party, but with his games again Amosun came back to beg and he was given the ticket again. Three years ago Amosun took my mandate but come this 2015 election with the help of the good people of Ogun state, I will take my mandate back from him; it is the turn of the people of Ogun west to take over Oke Mosan. I have been in the race for 6 years now but God willing, Amosun is on his way out of Oke Mosan.
Considering the rift in PDP in the last election which led to two factions that almost destroyed the party, now they are back in the state, is there unity in the party right now?
What happened in the last election I can tell you, is expected sometimes when you are in a big house with a big family, but I can tell you today the PDP in Ogun state have learnt their lessons. As at today the PDP is one, no factions, no godfatherism, and the way the party is being led by the chairman Chief Dayo Bayo, there is no court case in this exco; we still might have some people who are not comfortable with the fair play but that is how it should be done, and to people who are still outside they should know that they can only correct mistakes when they are in not from the outside. The PDP of today is PDP of one family. People are saying different things about Prince Buruji Kasamu, but I want to say it clearly that the man has really tried for the party, he has invested his money and time in the party, if anyone has anything against him, they should come inside so as to resolve our crisis and take our rightful positions. The former governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel is also on his way home to the PDP, in the next few weeks we will be seeing more of our people back home.
Chief Olusegun Osoba was your political father and you both enjoyed a cordial relationship, now that you are in the PDP, what is the relationship between you and Osoba?
I left the ACN, I did not leave Osoba group, Chief Osoba is still my political father, he is aware of my political moves and I received his blessings. I’m still a member of Matagba Mole of Osoba group but I’m in the PDP now, I still call Chief Osoba to seek advice from him; he is also not so happy about the happenings in Ogun state today and also believes Ogun State can be in a better place than where it is now and he believes in me.
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