Oil mogul, Abiodun, joins Ogun governorship race
Oil business magnate and entrepreneur, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed his intention to vie for the governorship of Ogun State in the 2019 elections.
Abiodun, who made the declaration during a press briefing in his house in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State on Friday, exuded confidence that he would be the next governor of the state.
The businessman had contested for the Senatorial seat of the Ogun East district in 2015, but lost out.
He told newsmen that it was high time seasoned and successful private sector players came into politics at all levels of governance to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The businessman-cum-politician who said he would be contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, noted that despite the success recorded by the current administration in the state, it was important to take Ogun to a higher level of development.
According to Abiodun, his declaration has divine backing, adding that given its proximity to Lagos, Ogun should begin to rival Lagos in terms of the Internally Generated Revenue and other developmental strides.
He said if elected the governor of the state, he would turn the state into an industrial hub, where he would ensure that there was constant supply of electricity.
While alluding to his streak of successes in his private business, Abiodun explained that he would bring his experience, expertise and character to bear in taking the state to the next level of development and making it attractive to investors.
He said, “If elected in 2019, I will run masses-oriented programmes, and will de-emphasise projects which will only give me visibility but would not add any value to the lives of the masses in the state.
“I will open up the roads in the rural communities, in order to improve the fortunes of the people in the rural communities. They need to bring their farm products to the market.
“If there are good rural roads, the farmers will get their farm products to the market in good time and they will make money. I will link the towns and the rural communities.”
Abiodun, who rued zoning of the governorship to a particular district, said the party should allow every governorship contestant in the state chapter of the APC to go through the primaries.
He disagreed with the notion that the Yewa-Awori zone had been denied a shot at producing the governor of the state, arguing that “every zone has had its fair share and chances at producing governor of the state.”