The aspiration of the incumbent Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola, popularly called Yayi, to contest the Ogun West Senatorial District election in 2023 is currently causing a rumpus in the camps of some other aspirants within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. Tongues have continued to wag in the ruling party in the state, especially over Yayi’s ambition to return to his roots and vie for the ticket to represent his people at the National Assembly. His media aide, Damilare Oloyede, in this interview with SEGUN OLATUNJI, says despite the hostile reactions of opposition camps within the APC in Ogun State, his principal is eminently qualified to aspire to represent his people. Excerpts:
Some supporters of some aspirants in the APC in Ogun State have continued to question the legitimacy of your principal, Senator Yayi to contest the Ogun West Senatorial District seat in 2023. What’s your reaction to this?
Thank you for already accepting that most of that noise is purely from naysayers, detractors and jittery opponents who in their coven already assumed and believed that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, FCA will roundly defeat them in any fair contest; so resorting to raising false alarm, and pure blackmail seems to be their tool for electioneering. I think rather than react, we should admonish them to be more of committed party men like Senator Yayi and prioritize service to the people in their political lives, too, so they are well loved. Constitutionally, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola meets all the necessary criteria to represent the good people of Ogun West in the Senate come 2023, and you come to think of it, traditionally he is well accepted by his people at home, too. So, who are those questioning his legitimacy if not those I’ve earlier mentioned that are scared of fair contest?
Others have also been raising moral issues about Yayi’s ambition to represent Ogun West people in the Senate in 2023. The kernel of their argument is that having spent decades of his political life representing Lagos State, it won’t be morally right for him to now barge in to Ogun State to seek to continue. Don’t you see some sense in their argument?
There is no singular sense in their petty arguments, not one. If the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says you can only be voted and be voted for until you are 18, same electoral umpire also made provisions for relocation of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in a situation where a voter changes his place of residence. Senator YAYI is an illustrious son of Ago- Ishaga in Pahayi, Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun West, here in Ogun State. He has been coming home regularly for more than a decade, and has been contributing to the development of his people. So, if he so decides to come and put his wealth of experience to play in the political field back home, and his family; the Ogunleye-Ogundimu family, his Baale and even his Kabiyesi, Olu of Ilaro have all affirmed that he’s their son, is it not insultingly amusing that some meddlesome interlopers want to tell us what they have no jurisdiction about? If others in the past like Hon. Olawunmi Edet, Hon. Segun Adekoya, Hon. Jide Omoworare and even Hon. Binta Garba in can return home to represent their people, why is Senator YAYI’s own giving these people headache?
Is it true that he’s not from Ogun State?
I’ve answered that, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, FCA, is from Ogun West, and that’s a very established fact that none of his detractors can ever prove wrong.
The belief in some camps within the APC in Ogun State is that Yayi is being emboldened to seek the Ogun West Senatorial District ticket because of the backing and support he has secured from the powers-that-be in the APC in Ogun State and at the national level, particularly. Do you subscribe to this speculation?
Powers that be? This is not about being emboldened by anybody. If anything will be the driving force behind the senatorial ambition of Senator YAYI, it is his strong desire to see that the political developments, economic and social narratives change in Ogun West. The Senator wishes to see a paradigm shift in the way we do things. Like he always assert, we can’t continue to have our arms folded, and expect anyone to take us seriously for assistance. We must demonstrate readiness from within, and that’s why he is not distracted by his opponents who have all benefitted from the plights of an average Yewa Awori man, but have not measured up in their contributions to our growth as a people. So, no one, except God is behind Senator YAYI, but he personally has the strong willingness of mind to see that Ogun West gets a worthy representation in the Senate come 2023.
Would one be right to say that Yayi wants to intimidate the APC in Ogun State to give him the Ogun West Senatorial ticket for 2023 because of his political credentials and alleged anointing by a national leader of the party?
Intimidation is not in his dictionary of life. His is to lobby, persuade and convince, where necessary, to party hierarchy that he is the best man for the job. As a matter of fact, he is pushing for a free, fair and credible primaries where all aspirants will sell their manifesto, show their pedigree and credentials while the party mechanism will produce a credible and popular candidate. What we detest is a weak aspirant who thinks blackmailing the stronger opponent out of the race will work, never!
Why do you think the pockets of opposition and resistance to Yayi’s plan to contest in 2023 in Ogun West are coming from within the same APC in the Senatorial District?
APC is the strongest party in Ogun West today, ditto Ogun State as a whole. The winner of the APC senatorial nomination in the APC is home to victory at the general elections, God willing. So, it is expected that the contest will be fierce. But using lies, cheap sentiments and pure blackmail is not acceptable. Methinks, those opposition within the party are the jittery ones.
There’s an incumbent Senator representing Ogun West in the National Assembly, Tolu Odebiyi. What additional worthwhile values and dividends do you think your principal, Yayi can add to the lives of the people of Ogun West Senatorial District in 2023?
It is clear to all and sundry that the best of the incumbent Senator is not the best that we are deserving of as a people. If you follow the empowerment Programmes, interventions and support being carried out by Senator YAYI for the people of Lagos West, where he currently represents, you will see that we are behind in legislative representation. 21 inner roads were constructed, rehabilitated and given facelift with street lights across Lagos West. The massive empowerment he did last was so massive that the governor of Lagos got wowed, including the Senate President.
If anything will be the driving force behind the senatorial ambition of Senator YAYI, it is his strong desire to see that the political developments, economic and social narratives change in Ogun West
When he emerges our Senator come June 2023, we are sure of a new order for greater development. His hands of help without our mandate yet has given the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro an ultra modern Library last year, a gigantic multibillion naira community pavilion is ongoing at Ilaro, street lighting is scattered across the roads of different towns in Ogun West. About 5000 youths and women of Ogun West extraction have been trained in various vocations — fishery, tailoring, event decoration, barbing, catering, make up amongst others, and start up kits and grants have been given. These and lots more are the new narratives we look forward to enjoying fully in Ogun West.
What conviction does your principal have that the people of Ogun West really want him as their preferred Senator in 2023?
The love he enjoys from his people, his party faithful at home and his political leaders across boards.