By our Reporter
Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has unveiled the Campaign Council for the 2023 elections, with a promise that his campaign will be constructive and issue based.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Council and the commissioning of the State Campaign Secretariat at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Saturday, Abiodun said his administration has in the last three and a half years embarked on people’s oriented projects, saying his second term campaign would focus on how to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“We must engage in constructive and issue based campaign in line with the provisions of the electoral and rule of engagements. We have done more than enough projects to ease our campaign while we promiseto do more for the benefits of the people of Ogun State if voted into power again.
“As we proceed to meet our people to seek their votes in this campaign for all our candidates in the state, let me assure you all that our administration will remain unwaveringly committed to the equitable development of our state and the implementation of people oriented and purposeful infrastructure, in line with our policy of inclusiveness and good governance”, he said.
The governor noted that his government was pro-active by lowering the political temperature in the state by being tolerant and respectful of the activities of all political parties in Ogun.
“We have continued to create a level playing ground for all individuals irrespective of their political affiliations. This is unlike the previous administration that turned the period of campaign into War and brigandage”, he noted.
The governor enumerated the numerous projects and achievements recorded in the last three years and six months to include construction of over 800 kilometres of roads; affordable houses; renovation of schools and health facilities; youth and women empowerment; agriculture, among others.
On areas to focus on in his second term if voted next year, Governor Abiodun listed electrification to ensure uninterrupted power to the major cities, towns and industrial hubs; project light up Ogun; provision of water supply by carrying out the major overhauling of Arakanga
Water Works to make water available for the people of Abeokuta and its environs, among other projects.
He stated further that efforts would be geared towards sustaining the peaceful atmosphere of the state to attract more investors by deploying technology for surveillance and crime detection, noting that “Security to us is very important, as we understand that No investor will invest in an environment that is not secured. Hence, will continue to provide Hilux vans, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and other logistics for our security agencies in the state”.
He stated further that a Special Intervention Programme that would benefit over 40, 000 people in the first instance, implementation of the multimodal transport master plan, as well as the completion of the Agro Cargo at Iperu Remo; construction of a Dry Port at Kajola and a logistics hub at Wasinmi; leveraging on the abundance of oil resources in Tongeji Island and Olokola, would be given due attention
He noted that the state under his watch would intensify efforts at gearing the Internally Generated Revenue Service (IGR) to be more revenue driven, in order to be able to implement his administration’s developmental agenda.
Abiodun, however, charged the campaign council members to live up to the expectation by winning Ogun for the progressives again in the presidential, gubernatorial, Senate, House of Reps and the House of Assembly elections, submitting that “our campaign must percolate to the grassroots for the good of our party”.
In his goodwill message, the former governor of Ogun State and the grand Patron of the Campaign Council, Olusegun Osoba, stressed the need for the people to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards, as the available record shows that the south west has the highest number of unclaimed Voter’s Cards in the country.
He contended that Ogun State is the cradle of progressive ideals in the country, hence, the need for the party members to support and promote all the candidates in the forthcoming elections.
Also speaking, former governor Gbenga Daniel who described Governor Abiodun as a good chess player who was able to bring people of diverse political leanings together, said it was time for the people to come together and work for the good of the party in the coming elections.
The APC gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, called on the members to put their house in order and carry out adequate marketing of their candidates from the president down to members of the House of Assembly respectively.
In his welcome address, the Ogun State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Yemi Sanusi stated that the Campaign Council covers all candidates seeking elective post in the 2023 general elections, urging members to work together and shun disunity to jointly achieve victory.
He admonished the candidates to buckle up and complement the efforts of the governor by working harder than in 2019 to achieve a landslide victory.