SDP will provide good governance in Ondo, says Agunloye

Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the November 26 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, Dr. Olu Agunloye has promised to chart a new direction of development for the state and its people if given the opportunity to emerge as the governor.

Agunloye, in an interview with The Guardian yesterday on his chances and that of his party of winning the election lamented that the richly endowed state have been reduced to a shadow of itself through the antics of cruel politicians who are fond of distributing rice to the people as if they are in refuge camps.

He promised that the SDP, which is an offshoot of the defunct Action Group (AG) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), would revamp Ondo from its present state to a developed environment if given the mandate to rule.

Speaking on the role of the SDP, the former Minster of Power said, “I need to say that SDP has presented itself as an alternative channel for progress. It has presented itself as a party that has responsibilities to the people of Ondo; it is an offshoot of the old AG, UPN and SDP in which late Chief M.K.O Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

“This is a situation where the party now says we have an alternative, and in implementing that alternative, the party has elected me and given me the mandate. This is after looking for a competent, credible and a compassionate person to carry the flag. So what we have is a crisis situation where the state is in serious trouble and needs very serious, crucial and urgent rescue and rebuilding. The party has presented itself, and me as a flag-bearer.”

Contrary to insinuation that the SDP is one of the weak political parties that would participate in the exercise, Agunloye said, “I will respond the way I think you were thinking because when they say a weak platform what they were referring to is money.

“Perhaps, that candidate may need billions of naira to buy votes in a completely corrupted election situation but the SDP has human structures across the state. Apart from my viable Omoluabi structure, there is also an SDP structure and we also have series of networks of different groups that have aligned with us from the 18 local governments.

“We also have networks with workers union and markets people. I can say that we have enough of what other parties are still amassing stolen funds to do.”

He said the election is not about political parties or individual as many people are erroneously thinking stressing, “The issue on ground is all about Ondo State and the people. It is time to rebuild and rescue our state. It is not about who is running well, it is about who can manage the crisis and get the state out. It is about who is committed, competent and also has the basic experience to manage crisis at a time like this.

“It is about who has integrity, the skill and who could be trusted. It is about someone who is compassionate enough to understand that the state could no longer be managed as business as usual. To me, my credentials are clear enough and apart from that, my programme is about how to salvage the economy and how to bring back food to the table of the people. It is about how to bring back security and to make the state perform its traditional role as the hub of the South West and to perform its own role as a leader in the country.”

On his defection from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) after the 2012 primary election, Agunloye said, “What happened was that I found out very painfully that primaries are one examination that always frightens me. I have had examinations all my lives in various countries but in primaries, the best person doesn’t come first and you never know the criteria that they use. There is no syllabus. When I experienced the ACN primary in June 2012, I was very much surprised because I was confused and I demanded for reasons.

“Many people believed that I stormed out of the ACN but that was not true. It took me six good weeks of having meetings with Bola Tinubu in his house and in his office and in some of those meetings we would get hungry and we would eat. So five trips to Tinubu’s house and offices and three to four trips to the incumbent governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and in one of the trips I travelled from Abuja by road to Oshogbo.

“I made many overtures to Chief Bisi Akande, whom I regarded as my father. I made many trips to Ila-Orangun, Ibadan and other areas to an extent I almost became a nuisance to one of his aides. At that point I told myself that I couldn’t continue to stay where they are putting hands in my nose.

After I left all manners of abuses were heaped on me and for four weeks I didn’t reply. I only told myself if I was so important to them they should have given me the ticket so if I left they shouldn’t have worried. But when the abuses were getting too much, I replied and it probably hurts one or two of them. The good part was that my reply stopped their unwarranted attack on me. Since that time I have not met with any of them.”