Fortunate Aiyedatiwa is the governor of Ondo State. On this interview, he speaks on his victory within the November 16 governorship election within the state and his guarantees to the individuals of Ondo State, amongst others, ANAYO EZUGWU writes
In your acceptance speech, you talked about gratitude and humility. Inform us about that gratitude and humility, and the way you hope to serve the individuals of Ondo State within the subsequent 4 years?
I’m actually overwhelmed with gratitude, significantly humbled and honoured by that renewed advantage given to me by the individuals of Ondo State by popping out of their a whole lot of hundreds to solid their vote for my celebration, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and by extension for myself, to proceed to be their governor past 2025, when this very tenure will likely be ending.
It’s a complete lot of gratitude for me to all of them, particularly contemplating the variety of votes throughout the 18 native authorities areas, not simply a few of the native governments that have been received, however the complete 18 native governments and with the margin between my celebration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
My gratitude additionally to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for offering a degree taking part in floor for all of us, all of the political events, to marketing campaign and contest with none type of bias in any method.
My gratitude additionally to my celebration, the All Progressive Congress and the management of the celebration led by Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje and members of the Nationwide Working Committee for all of the assist and engineering of the political celebration as a platform upon which I ran for the governorship.
And likewise, my brother governors, all of them, for rallying round me, and giving me assist, particularly the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Discussion board, the chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Discussion board, who can also be the chairman of the Sub-committee for Election Administration and Technique, and my very own South-West Governors’ Discussion board, who’s the chairman of the Governorship Marketing campaign, His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, all of them, for his or her assist.
My gratitude is aware of no bounds. I want to additionally commend the umpire itself, the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) for conducting a free, honest, credible and conclusive election, as a result of an election may be performed and may be inconclusive.
However this time, we had a free, honest, credible and conclusive election. Commendations additionally to the safety brokers for shielding all people with none type of partiality. They have been deployed in every single place, and the election itself was so peaceable.
Elections in Ondo State have been very peaceable within the final 4 elections that we’ve had apart the expertise in 1983. I feel Ondo State individuals have realized their lesson.
So, I need to thank the nice individuals of Ondo State, the vital stakeholders, the residents, the eligible voters, each considered one of them, for the present of affection, which they’ve translated into votes.
Because you’ve touched on INEC already, let’s get straight into it, to this point, the post-mortems from numerous observers, CSOs, and the overall dialog round INEC’s conduct haven’t been optimistic given allegations of vote shopping for and BIVAS not working appropriately. How does this make you’re feeling?
It’s not so true as a result of all people is entitled to their opinion, relying on the place they’re talking from and the areas they visited. I need to inform you that not each location was visited by the so-called CSOs and observers.
However actually and actually, there are some places the place we now have delays initially relating to accreditation by the BIVAS community. That originally slowed down the method in some areas, however not in every single place. If you already know the place I come from, I voted within the remotest a part of the state.
From Akure, if you wish to journey to my hometown the place I vote, it’s about three and a half hours and on water. It’s within the riverine space. Even earlier than I arrived on the polling station, voting had began.
The INEC officers arrived very early. I wasn’t the primary one who voted at my polling unit. Some individuals had voted earlier than my arrival.
So, upon I arrival, I joined the queue and sure, the BIVAS at my polling unit labored. Inside two minutes, I’ve been capable of solid my vote. The accreditation was carried out, and my PVC was offered.
It was run on the BIVAS, it popped up my identify and I used to be given the poll paper and I voted. In another items inside my ward, they complained of community slowing down the method however ultimately, individuals have been capable of vote.
However in some areas, they made such complaints as properly. The BIVAS was sluggish, however alongside the road, it picked up. That’s the reason you will get that variety of votes.
Should you have a look at the overall variety of these weho voted within the election, the quantity is big. It’s like each different election. Even, we had a better determine on this very election than in a few of the earlier elections. So, though the BIVAS was failing at some extent, it picked up and other people have been capable of vote.
The deep sea port will likely be developing very quickly. The licence has been granted and traders are ready. We’ll now focus, after this election, to pursue that, in order that it could come to actuality
There have been lower than 1,000,000 those who got here to vote when there are 1.7 million individuals with their PVCs. Is that not a sign that persons are disenchanted with elections in Nigeria?
Let me shortly say this. In case you are judging from the quantity of people that registered and picked up their PVCs to the quantity of people that got here out to vote, this isn’t peculiar to this very election.
That occurs in each election everywhere in the nation. Lots of people registered to have their PVC as a result of they simply need to have that doc.
With regards to being energetic politically, not all people who registered may be very energetic politically. So, if you happen to look a the data, not simply in Ondo State, however in each different election in different states, that has been occurring.
Lots of people will not be so energetic in taking part and that’s what we must always encourage. It’s alleged to be a nationwide consciousness that must be created that folks ought to all the time come out to vote. However for some individuals, you can’t pressure them to return out. Some persons are passive, some persons are energetic.
We discuss residents’ participation as a part of good governance. Sure, we now have to proceed to encourage them. And if you happen to have a look at the determine that we now have on the finish of the election, you’ll agree with me that it is a excellent one additionally.
In the course of the debates, you had a forwards and backwards as regards safety votes however a query that was by no means requested was how a lot do you gather as safety votes?
I want to understand how a lot month-to-month, or if the numbers differ, how a lot within the final one or two months have you ever collected as safety votes within the state? Let me inform you, Ondo State, to begin with, has been adjudged to be one of the crucial most secure and peaceable states in Nigeria.
Go and verify with the safety brokers. Intelligence gathering will inform you that we’re protected right here in Ondo State and really peaceable. You too can attest to the truth that throughout the #EndBadGovernance protests, most states skilled protests, however in Ondo State, there was no single protest, as a result of we’re partaking our individuals.
We speak to them, we allow them to know, we permit them to take part, we hearken to them, reply their questions, their requests, and we make sure that our safety structure is funded rightly and guess ter geared up. So, if you wish to actually understand how a lot I draw each month as safety votes; that could be a safety matter that can not be divulged.
However there’s a finances for safety votes for the workplace of the governor, and our finances has been printed. You may go there and verify your self. It’s an appropriation and I can’t draw past the appropriated quantity. You may verify as a result of it is a safety matter.
What function did the late Rotimi Akeredulu issue play in your victory within the election?
My late principal; could his soul relaxation in peace, he was an element on this election. I’m proud to say that I’m really the face of Aketi. Neglect about all of the narratives that persons are pushing concerning the Aketi individuals not being comfortable and that they don’t seem to be supporting me.
I ask: Who’re the Aketi individuals? Are you speaking concerning the rapid household or his political associates? With regards to politics; if you speak concerning the political household, they’re the people who find themselves standing by you and are working with you.
I and Aketi have come a good distance since 2012, when he was given the ticket on the time by the Motion Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Though we misplaced the election, we remained collectively as progressives.
In 2016, earlier than he received the election, all of us labored collectively and Agboola Ajayi was picked at the moment as his working mate, and when he fell out along with his principal in 2020, I used to be chosen because the deputy. I labored with him as a loyal deputy and all people in Ondo State is aware of that.
Even on the day of our inauguration, I don’t know when you have seen that video clip, the place he brazenly counseled me. He first interpreted my identify, what it means, and the way names can actually have an effect on the future of an individual after which talked about my loyalty, dedication and worthiness of the place that he gave to me on the time.
And he went additional to additionally say that he has a most of 4 years, perhaps I can proceed from there. He can not simply say categorically that that is my beloved successor, please assist him when the time comes. However he mentioned it in one other method that he should come down for me to go.
These are his phrases, you may play that again. It’s in every single place on social media, particularly throughout the impeachment plot, it got here out from the archive and all people started to marvel in the direction of the top of his journey earlier than he handed. So, we’ve come a good distance, and that has all the time been his want, for me to succeed him.
And those that actually perceive the dynamics, they knew however due to curiosity of a few of the political gladiators, they should push different narratives to both de-profile or de-market me and create some form of blackmail. As a result of politics is about one thing I name competitors or pursuits which can be totally different, all people needs to take a seat on this seat as properly. So, that’s it on the Aketi issue.
I’m the face of Aketi, a successor that he really desired from day one. And that was why I mentioned that I needed he was alive to take a seat behind his different governor’s colleagues who have been in that banquet corridor after I was declared the winner.
That may have been actually nice however God is aware of higher. And Owo individuals additionally know that I’ve my disposition in the direction of the Aketi group, which I’m main proper now alongside the celebration chairman. All of us belong to the identical Aketi group.
You’re from Ondo South and the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi can also be from Ondo South. Individuals are saying that coming from Ondo South, you owe the individuals of the world a particular obligation to do issues for them. Are we going to see you establishing a college in your constituency?
Within the southern senatorial district the place I come from, we have already got a college, which very near my native authorities, in between Okitipupa and Igbokoda in Ilaje Native Authorities Space, the Olusegun Agagu College of Science and Know-how.
So, I don’t want to ascertain a brand new college within the southern senatorial district. However one of many departments of the college is already being constructed at Igbokoda, the capital of my native authorities. So, that’s sufficient.
All that I must do for the southern senatorial district is to additionally convey some form of infrastructural improvement. Lots is occurring in that space.
Don’t overlook, the wealth of Ondo State, most of it’s within the southern hall. The deep sea port will likely be developing very quickly. The license has been granted and traders are ready.
We’ll now focus, after this election, to pursue that, in order that it could come to actuality. Don’t overlook, we now have the biggest bitumen deposit in Nigeria and the second largest on the planet, which is within the southern senatorial district of Ondo State. With the deep sea port approaching board, that can additional assist traders to look in that course.
Exploration is ongoing in that space already as a result of licenses have been issued by the Federal Ministry of Mineral Sources and a few persons are already there doing the preliminary work. Don’t overlook additionally that the southern senatorial district is the place we are able to hyperlink with Lagos.
The Araromi-Lekki highway is coming from there. If that highway is accomplished, from Lagos to Ilaje and Araromi will likely be about 45 minutes, relatively than spending virtually three hours. Don’t overlook additionally that the cleanest seashore in Nigeria is the Araromi Seashore. We’re going to develop it and make it a vacationer place.
Additionally, the Lagos-Calabar freeway that began from Lagos; a really enormous venture by the Federal Authorities, goes to go by Ondo to Delta, connecting from Lagos to Ogun, Ondo and Delta after which to Calabar, linking all of these communities and states collectively. It’s higher to think about the form of financial advantages that that can convey to the southern senatorial hall, particularly my native authorities, Ilaje.
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