With steps taken by Tinubu, Nigerians will soon smile — Akinfolarin, Ondo gov’ship aspirant

Rt. Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, a former Deputy Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, is a two-time member of the National Assembly representing Ile Oluji-Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

While in the National Assembly, he was the Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). In this interview, Akinfolarin speaks on his plan to govern Ondo State, his ties to President Bola Tinubu and the speculation that he’s being sponsored by the powers-that-be in Abuja to run for governorship. Excerpts:

The Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu’s administration seems to be making life more difficult for Nigerians. What’s the way out?

First, let me appreciate Mr. President for taking the right steps since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. He has demonstrated that he understands issues affecting every Nigerian and he is attending to them with a lot of commitment.

Although, I am not surprised and I am sure many Nigerians are not surprised that the President is meticulous in implementing key elements of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Looking at his antecedents as Lagos State governor, Nigerians will soon start smiling. I can assure you about that.

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But I don’t envy the President at all because he inherited a struggling economy and you know why I respect him? He is not complaining, rather he is working day and night to ensure Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy – that is the number one quality of a good leader. If we don’t reform now, we will suffer for it later. Let’s make the right sacrifice for the sake of our children and our children’s children.

But Nigerians are becoming impatient with the administration because it seems nothing has really changed.

No. You can’t say nothing has changed. In about six months, the President has displayed purposeful leadership by reinvesting the money saved from fuel subsidy removal in health, education, job creation and infrastructure. For the first time in a long time, states received almost double of their allocations and none of them is complaining about payment of salaries. They can now do more at the state level, which is taking governance close to the people. Nigerians just need to be a little patient because some of the plans in the Renewed Hope Agenda have long-term goals while some positive results will begin to manifest very soon. The good thing is that the President is aware of all these and he is addressing them one step at a time.

You’ve declared your intention to contest the coming governorship election in Ondo. Why are you interested in the contest?

I have been holding public offices for a while and in all the elective positions I have occupied, I have always advocated for policies, projects and programs that directly and positively impact the ordinary man in the society especially in Ondo State. I know every administration in Ondo State inside out. So I can tell you that, over time, there seems to have been a lot of gaps between government and the people of the state and please don’t get me wrong, I did not say those who governed before now did not have their own impact but I am a practical person. I relate well with the grassroots, young and old people and even high flyers across Ondo State and I know where the shoe pinches. I have home-grown solutions to our problems. What works in Lagos, Abuja, Rivers and the likes may not work in Ondo because we have our own peculiarities and I speak the language of the masses.

What are your chances considering the gladiators eyeing same coveted seat, including the incumbent governor?

You and I know only very few of them are serious. APC is a progressive family and so it is within the fundamental human right of every individual within the party to vie for any office, but we know those who are serious and those who want to run just to mark register that they were once aspirants. Of all the people jostling for the number one seat in Ondo State, I can tell you that I am the most experienced and the one with the strongest grassroots appeal. Like I said earlier, I have been a political player of note for a while in this state. I was twice Deputy Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly and for two consecutive terms, I was member representing Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, among others, and the records are there in the public domain for everyone to see. I am a people’s politician and I have earned the trust of my people over time.

You talk so confidently. Are you saying you will dust all other aspirants during your party’s primary in April?

Every major stakeholder in APC in Ondo State today is on my side and 90 percent of them have been my friends for decades and they all know that I do not promise and fail. Otherwise, you will not see the caliber of politicians that were present at our last stakeholders’ engagement meeting that happened within a very short notice. These are politicians who command a very large following in their respective domains. They are all looking for someone they have access to and I am no stranger to all of them and indeed to the people of the state. At every point, my doors have always been open.

Is your confidence premised on the talk in the state that you’re being sponsored by the cabal in the Presidency?

Cabal? This is an overused lexicon in the Nigerian political dictionary. Don’t forget I was in the National Assembly for eight years as a member representing Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency and you must know that one of the key responsibilities of a federal lawmaker is lobbying and networking. To the glory of God, I served without blemish and this endeared me to many influential individuals from all walks of life. All I can say is that I am sufficiently close to the people at the top either at the national or sub-national level and they can attest to my competence and capability.

What is your relationship with President Bola Tinubu?

The President is my benefactor and I say it everywhere I go. His leadership prowess is immeasurable and his knack for excellence is second to none. One thing you must know about the President is that he listens and you must have seen it from the way he listens to Nigerians and addresses issues swiftly, regardless of ethnic and political affiliations. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a compassionate leader who means well for Nigerians. God has brought him at this time to come and rescue us and we must not distract him. All we can do is start praying for him whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. The President needs our prayers and support.

Now let’s talk about your blueprint for developing the state?

My approach to governance is quite different and those who are familiar with my trajectory will tell you this. I believe in a bottom-up approach to governance. My plan will be to assemble a creative team of technocrats and politicians and we are going to be delivering programs that address businesses at local level, call it micro-economics, you are right, because those small scale businesses that are often neglected are the bedrock of every developing society and ours is no exemption. We will be focusing especially on farmers, artisans, traders, entrepreneurs and the likes. When elected, our government will create the enabling environment for them to thrive. We are going to deliberately empower our young people to be job creators and not job seekers, our market women will be given access to loans and grants in a very coordinated way. Let me also say that the young people are like the driving force behind every one of my projects and this is not exempted. They have taken ownership of my governorship project from day one. So, I am familiar with their thinking and for the first time, the government will be attending to their needs in practical terms not just on paper. The civil service will be repositioned for productivity and the welfare of all workers will be the best you can get anywhere in the country. We are in a hurry to make our people trust government once again. Under my watch, education, healthcare and infrastructure will flourish.