Mr. Hakeem Oyedele Alao,an engineer, the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate for the 2019 governorship election on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has disclosed that the need to bring into governance fresh ideas towards returning the state to its enviable status as pace-setter has been the propelling force that drove him into the governorship contest.
The Oyo State AD standard-bearer made this known during his visit to Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Dr. Lekan Balogun at his Alarere, Ibadan residence ,as part of sensitization on his ambition to govern the state.
Engr. Alao, who said he is offering himself to serve the state , maintained that he got the push to come forward when he realized that all what were being said ahead of the 2019 general elections was to maintain the status quo ante which had not in anyway added value to the living condition of the citizenry.
He explained that left for him as a person, he has got enough reasons to thank the Almighty God for what He had done for him, saying, “I’m comfortable where I am and I have been to different places where things work, but, always feel bad that things don’t work in my own country and the question has always been why has our own different?
“It is in a bid to put a stop to this agitation and answer the question that I’m offering myself with a strong conviction that I have something to offer. I felt there is need for a fresh idea and that is how I put forward myself, i strongly believe that things could be done better”, the governorship hopeful added.
“Anytime I come home, I travelled round a lot and always feel sad about what I see. I was in my home one day in Omar, United Arab Emirate (UAE) and was reading one of the governorship aspirants interview then recounting how he should be the next governor of the state because of some sentiments of having worked with some people before without telling his readers what he would do for the state should he become the governor.
“This really got me annoyed and wondered where and why did we get it wrong in Oyo State? A state reputed as the pace-setter becoming hind-setter? I felt it was time to make a change and let our state return back to the old glory of truly being pace-setter, not only by name, but by deeds. We can’t continue to be pace-setter only in name and hindsetters in deeds, that’s not acceptable and that formed part of reasons for my joining politics”, he stated further.
Accompanied by the Director-General of his campaign organization, Mr. Tajudeen Ademola Adeniji,Esq., the party’s State Secretary, Comrade Adepoju and some party leaders and members on the visit, the governorship candidate acknowleged the fact that his host (Oba Balogun) had left active and partisan politics, he said the purpose of the visit was a mark of the Oba’s recognition and to seek for his blessings.
In his brief response, Oba Balogun, who noted that Oyo politics “is fastly developing by the calibre of people now aspiring to lead” commended the sense of patriotism of Engr. Alao, saying, “with the kind of exposure you have gotten, your passion for people’s wrlfare as well as your intellectual acumen, there’s no doubt that the state will witness turn around should you be given the chance and I wish you well in your endeavours”.
