The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Ikorodu Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Prince Kehinde Gbadebowale Oyefusi, has pledged to promote grassroots development in the constituency through improved primary healthcare, youth empowerment, stronger oversight of constituency projects and greater autonomy for traditional rulers if elected in 2027.

  Oyefusi, son of the late Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, disclosed this while outlining his campaign agenda, saying he would deploy his legislative powers to improve budgetary provisions for residents and address basic needs at the ward level.

  A major part of his agenda, he said, is a push for legislation to strengthen the authority of traditional rulers, which he argued had been weakened by successive administrations. He said Obas should not be subject to the control of state governors or local council chairmen, particularly in matters concerning their traditional institutions.

  He proposed that disputes involving monarchs should be handled by the Osugbo, the traditional council of kingmakers, rather than the state government arguing that traditional stools should be shielded from political pressure and the threat of arbitrary removal.

 On healthcare, he said establishing or strengthening primary healthcare centres in each ward would ease pressure on general hospitals and make treatment more accessible to residents. Minor ailments he said should be handled at the primary healthcare level, while cases requiring specialised attention could be referred to general hospitals.

 On youth empowerment, Oyefusi said he would build on vocational training programmes he currently supports, including tailoring and other skills, alongside apprenticeship schemes for unemployed young people. He added that indigent students would benefit from scholarships covering fees for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations. He also proposed a women empowerment programme, saying women needed independent sources of livelihood to strengthen household incomes and stability.

  On public finance, Oyefusi said budgetary allocations to the constituency would be guided by consultations with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) to identify the areas most in need. He stressed that his oversight function as a lawmaker would ensure appropriated funds were not diverted, citing non-functional transformers in some communities as an example of unresolved grassroots needs.

 Oyefusi, 55, said he opted for the Assembly seat, rather than a higher political office, to build grassroots connections first noting he has visited nine of the constituency’s 11 wards. He said he was not making binding promises, only a commitment to support constituents’ needs within the limits of a lawmaker’s role.

 On campaign financing, he said his campaign was being funded by individual contributors rather than political godfathers, adding that he turned down an earlier opportunity to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) before settling on the ADC after more than two years of engagement with the party’s leadership.

  A graduate of Political Philosophy from the University of Lagos with a master’s degree in Criminology, Oyefusi previously worked with the Lagos State Government between 1999 and 2006. He expressed confidence of victory in next year’s poll.