The seeming conclusion of Nigerians on either of the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two of the leading political parties in the country, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari rtd. and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar respectively has been described as worrisome and capable of stagnating the country.
This was the view of the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Engr. Hakeem Oyedele Alao in a statement signed by the Director-General of his campaign organization, Barr. Ademola Adeniji and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.
The Oyo AD gubernatorial candidate was reacting to the attitude of Nigerians to the recent debate among the Vice-Presidential candidates which suggested that Nigeria destiny is tied to either of the ruling APC and the main opposition, the PDP, describing such notion as unprogressive and short-sighted.
According to Engr. Alao, “if our fate as a nation is hanged on the two personalities among who was a Vice-President of eight years and the only testimony from his immediate boss is that of being ‘fatastically’ corrupt and the other, who, about completing a term of four years as testified by his wife is to have been held hostage by two men in his cabinet and unable to do anything, then, there’s a serious problem”.
He maintained that the electorate should cease being stereotyped into believing that no other person outside of the established names politically could salvage this country, stressing that the time has come to try new persons with new and fresh ideas, because, “it is only a mad man that will be expecting different results from doing the same thing over the years”.
On his ambition to govern Oyo State by winning the gubernatorial election next year, the AD standard-bearer said the state is lucky to have array of young politicians seeking the people’s mandate to be their governor, but cautioned the electorate not to be carried away by the youthfulness of some of them, asking for proper scrutiny of all the individuals seeking their votes before making any choice.
“There are many young people out there really, seeking the people’s mandate, but what is their pedigree, what is their antecedents? Can any youth that had been part of the corrupt system offer anything different from the very system he had been part of or which even produced him?
“Our people must look before they leap. Governance is not a difficult task if one has a right attitude and right thinking, genuine vision and mission as well as right focus. That was what worked for the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo as well as his lieutenants, most of who succeeded him in political administration at one time or the other”, he added.
He assured that with his exposure and experience, described as rich and robust, he possesses all what it takes to turn around the state if given the opportunity, asking that the people of the state should give room for fresh blood with fresh ideas in governance and they would see the difference.
