The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Ikoyi-Obalende, Bola Oladunjoye, has expressed confidence in securing victory in the July 12 local government election, urging residents to come out en masse and vote for the APC.
He officially launched his campaign on Monday, promising to elevate the local government area through a comprehensive agenda focused on environment, livelihood, education, access to infrastructure and togetherness.
Oladunjoye, a father of three with multiple degrees in business computing, international business, and computer networking from London universities and the CEO of a construction company, addressed the press alongside his running mate, Engr. Sulaiman Salawe and the Director General of his campaign, Dr. Oluwaseun Michael Akapo.
During the briefing, Oladunjoye shared insights into his entry into politics, stating, “Politics found me. I come from a family of politicians, and it was inevitable that at some point, I would find myself in politics.”
Responding to questions about his strategy for the upcoming July 12 election, Oladunjoye outlined a multi-pronged approach.
“We’ve actually done several engagements, door-to-door, civil societies, and numerous town hall meetings. We’ve also had ongoing engagement and the regular efforts of encouraging people to come out and vote on that day, particularly for our party,” he said.
When pressed on whether the strong showing of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election posed a threat, Oladunjoye expressed confidence and a commitment to fair competition. “We welcome free competition. We are not contesting against any particular individual party. As APC, our goal is to ensure that on July 12, our party emerges victorious, he said.
He reiterated his primary objective. “Our purpose is to take Ikoyi-Obalende to the next level. So, we are not perturbed at all about the Labour Party or any other party, for that matter,” he said.
Addressing concerns about party unity following the primaries, Oladunjoye highlighted successful reconciliation efforts. “We’ve done exceptionally well, especially in our local government. We’ve had several meetings and engagements with our co-aspirants,” he said.
He pointed to Engineer Salawe, his vice-chairmanship candidate, and Dr. Akapo, his campaign DG, both of whom were co-aspirants, as proof of the party’s cohesion. “It just goes to show how, as a party, we’ve closed ranks to understand the imperatives and the importance of winning on July 12,” Oladunjoye said.
A central theme of Oladunjoye’s campaign is the ‘Elevate’ mantra, which he explained stands for Environment, Livelihood, Education, Access to infrastructure and Togetherness. This agenda, he believes, will unleash the opportunities of Ikoyi-Obalende.
Acknowledging the pervasive issue of paucity of funds, Oladunjoye stated that his administration would be creative in terms of revenue generation to close the gaps between revenue and the services intended to be rendered to people.
He emphasised prioritising infrastructural development in schools, roads and supporting the vulnerable.
He proposed an innovative solution to address the issue of food security, which is particularly challenging for Ikoyi-Obalende due to its limited land.
He said, “We intend to partner with such local governments with land to provide what we can with what they have to support these things together and make a success of the agricultural revolution, to subsidise food and also to create opportunities for our people.”
Oladunjoye pledged a facelift for our schools in general and, hopefully, “create a model school whereby a lot of fellow local governments will be proud.”
The vice-chairmanship candidate, Salawe, emphasised his expertise in infrastructure as a certified civil engineer, stating his extensive political experience, including serving as a two-time councillor, council leader, and supervisor for works, and most recently, as the secretary to the local government.
“With that, I know what it means by local government governance in terms of prioritising the needs for the people and the community,” Salawe stated.
The campaign’s Director General, Akapo, underscored the importance of meticulous planning. “Planning has been what we’ve been doing since we got these winning tickets. We’ve looked at our local government, we’ve looked at the challenges, we’ve looked at our strengths and our weaknesses, and we decided to come up with a joint committee because we want everybody to be together,” he said.
He detailed various committees, including mobilisation, media and publicity, strategy and planning, budget and finance and election management, all working to ensure a decisive victory.
Oladunjoye concluded the briefing by reiterating his commitment to prudent financial management and leveraging all possible avenues, including grants, to secure funding for his administration’s promises.
He also assured the public of a harmonious working relationship with his vice-chairman, stating that their roles are clearly defined and their shared purpose is to serve the people of Ikoyi-Obalende.
