The array of governorship candidates angling to take charge of Oyo State after the gubernatorial election next year notwithstanding, the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Sen. Solagbade Olufemi Lanlehin has said that candidates of other political parties are united in their resolve to sack the All Progressives Congress,APC, from governance in the state come next year.
Lanlehin, the immediate past Senator that represented Oyo South Senatorial District made this known to journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday shortly before his meeting with the leaders of the party from the Southern Senatorial zone of the state.
Asking the people of the state not to be perturbed by the large numbers of contestants for the plum job in the state, he said all the opposing candidates to the APC were united in their thoughts to free the state from its stranglehold and that at the appropriate time, the pretenders would give way to the contenders.
The ADC gubernatorial candidate, whose candidature ruptured the party said the party had become synchronized with 95% of members remaining intact for the prosecution of the task of freeing the state from the yoke of APC.
He also insisted that the exit of the former governor of the state, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, who has been largely seen as his godfather from the ADC would not affect his chances of becoming the state governor, stressing that “there’s nothing fundamental in our differences, he’s my father, leader and my mentor. He’s somebody I have a lot of respect for and nothing has changed in the way we relate”.
Sen. Lanlehin, who accused the outgoing government of Sen. Abiola Ajimobi of low performance said the concentration on award of contracts by the government in no small way negatively affected the lives of the citizens of the state as virtually all the services’ sectors like education, health, job creation among others suffered terribly under the administration.
“It is this legacy of underperformance which the administration wants to perpetuate through its successor that the opposition candidates are saying no to and the people of the state are also saying enough is enough. We can’t just continue with the legacy of contracts award at the expense of quality and robust health and education provisions”, the ADC standard bearer stated.
The governorship hopeful expressed worries about the rate of youth unemployment in the state, noting that the experience of one month he was out of job while waiting for university admission in the past has always made him to have deep feelings for those people that have no jobs as “I always wonder on how they survive”.
He maintained that the issue must be given priority attention by any government that is worth its salt. “I know what I was able to do in that regard as a Senator and with executive power, I know I can do much and by the grace of God with the support of the people of Oyo State, our government will create jobs to drastically reduce the number of unemployed youths in the state”.
Sen. Lanlehin disclosed that part of the means of fighting unemployment in the state is to restructure the education system which he said would be given serious attention within the ambit of constitution allowance, stressing that he would return the glory of Technical College and Trade Centres with their products given gainful employment.
He announced Mr. Bashir Lawa,an architect,l as the Director-General of his campaign organization just as he disclosed that three former Secretaries to the State Government (SSGs), namely Chiefs Micheal Adeniyi Koleoso, Olayiwola Ayoade Olakojo and Dr. Busari Adebisi would lead his campaign.
