INTERVIEW: Makinde Doing Well But Adeolu Akande Will Do Better • ‘We’re Fully With Prof’- Ahmed Raji SAN
INTERVIEW: Makinde Doing Well But Adeolu Akande Will Do Better • ‘We’re Fully With Prof’- Ahmed Raji SAN.
Iseyin-born Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) and Baba Adini of Oke Ogun, Ahmed Raji, has said that Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, is better in terms of what he has been able to achieve in Oke-Ogun.
The philanthropist, who spoke in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, however added that contrary to insinuations that the people of the 10 Okeogun Local Government Areas don’t speak with one voice, they are fully with Professor Adeolu Akande, who he said, is the only aspirant that has come out to indicate interest in the governorship seat so far.
Below is the interview:
Recently, Governor Seyi Makinde was in Iseyin, which is a critical part of Oke-Ogun, for the sod turning of a faculty of LAUTECH. His supporters have also been boasting that the governor has done so well for Oke-Ogun in terms of projects and development generally. Do you see him as a governor who is the real friend of Oke-Ogun?
Governor Makinde is better than those before him as far as Oke-Ogun is concerned. But there is still room for improvement. That is the way I will put it. But he is better than those before him. There is no doubt about that. He is better in terms of what he has been able to achieve in Oke-Ogun, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Where are Oke-Ogun people in the clamour for power shift in 2023? It does not appear there are strong contenders from that part of the state. Yes, Professor Adeolu Akande has indicated interest, but not much is coming from the area…
Yes, Professor Adeolu Akande is eminently qualified to be governor.
Are Oke-Ogun people still supporting him? The people of the area are often accused of not speaking with one voice…
That is not true. Who said Oke-Ogun people don’t speak with one voice? That is a lie. We speak with one voice. Do the Ibadan people speak with one voice? Do you know how many gubernatorial candidates emerged from Ibadan alone in 2019? Are they speaking with one voice?
But at the end of the day, an Ibadan became the governor in 2019…
Let nobody tell that nonsense that Oke-Ogun people don’t speak with one voice. Do the people of Ibadan speak with one voice? Otherwise, why did we have Bayo Adelabu in APC, Sharafadeen Alli in ZLP, Senator Femi Lanlehin in ADC in 2019 and Makinde in PDP? We are talking of speaking with one voice. Who has come out against Professor Akande from Oke-Ogun in APC? He is the only one in APC known to those of us from Oke-Ogun.
But do you see the dream of an Oke-Ogun governor achievable in 2023 against current reality in the state?
That is left in the hands of God to determine. Nobody even knows who will be alive in 2023. There is nobody who is so strong that will say Oke-Ogun does not have a chance. You can’t write off anybody. Professor Akande is our son and we are proud of him. We are fully with him. But that is not to say Governor Makinde has not done well. Makinde has performed so well, though there is room for improvement as I said earlier.
