Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in next month’s governorship election in Oyo State, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, has said that politics, as currently being played in Nigeria, is not something to be proud of.
Adelabu, who spoke alongside the trio of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Senator Olufemi Lanlehin of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Princess Bola Sarumi-Aliyu of the National Interest Party (NIP), explained that experience is not necessary to do a good job
The governorship candidates bared the minds last Friday at the debate organised by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Yoruba service at the Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, UCH, Ibadan.
They were divided on the issue of whether one needs political experience to run the office of the governor.
Alao-Akala and Lanlehin on their part aligned that Nigeria politics is not bad and it is something to be proud of if politicians are committed and God fearing. They also agreed that political experience is needed to run the office of the governor.
Nigerian Tribune quoted Alao-Akala as stating that political experience is important to become the governor of Oyo State at present, adding that things have gone bad and beyond the realm of putting people that will learn on the job in the office of the governor in the state.
“I am not too old to become the governor. I’m not going to be the oldest governor in Nigeria. Politics is something to be proud of if we do it the fear of God. You can be proud of politics in Nigeria,” Alao-Akala stated.
Lanlehin also expressed the belief that one can be proud of Nigeria politics, adding that not all politicians are bad. He also stated that the place of political experience cannot be overlooked in selecting a governor for Oyo State.
“Experience is not an issue that can be thrown out for a governor. Nigeria politics is something you can be proud of, I am proud of what I have done and I won’t spoil my name if given a chance to use my political experience to rule Oyo State,” Lanlehin stated.
However, Adelabu stated that there is no need for experience and he is not impressed with the Nigerian political experience. “ I am not sorry that I have no experience because the Nigerian political experience is nothing to be proud of.
“What is done by political parties is singing and activities that have nothing to do with governance; governance is what I want to do with little politics because politics is just a vehicle. When we do too much politics, we miss the purpose of governance. The way things is wrong and we will change things,” he said.
Sarumi-Aliyu also stated that there is nothing to be proud of in Nigerian politics. She stated that, “there’s nothing to be proud of in Nigerian politics. And you need no political experience; the only experience you need is fear of God, avoiding corrupt godfathers and not collecting money from cabal for election.”
All the candidates however promised to pay workers N30,000 as minimum wage, look into the issue of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and ensure that education is absolutely free by eradicating the N1, 000 fee paid per term.
