8th January, 2015
Oyo State’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, in this interview, says he would succeed Governor Biola Ajimobi in 2015. The 47-year old Petroleum Engineer added that some so-called political heavyweights in the race would get the shock of their lives and other issues
Why did you defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the SDP?
Well, it is an open secret how the primaries in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), went. The party would not obey its own guideline and a court order regarding the delegates to elect the party’s flag bearer. So, when they wouldn’t do that and our people insisted that they were waiting for us. They want us to have a platform for them where the hope of the generality of the people of Oyo would be realized. We then decided to move down to the SDP to give that hope to our people.
What enticed you to the SDP?
Well, there is concept of Omoluabi in Yorubaland. And that is who we are and that is how we were brought up. We look at the parties and all the available platforms and coming from this part of the country, and being Omoluabi ourselves, we looked at the promoters of the SDP in persons of Chief Olu Falae and Chief Segun Osoba. These are the men that have contributed immensely to the progress of the Yoruba race. And they are Omoluabi personified. And we discussed with them. They have vision for Yoruba. We just kind of share the vision.
How do you intend to cover the ground within six weeks to face people with public office experience?
Well, democracy is not about the positions you have occupied in the past. It is about the people. It is about the majority of the people and that is where we are going. We have listened to our people. We have heard them. We have given to them our programmes, our manifestos, and there is an alignment that gives us a new platform and we will vote for you. Really, politics is all about people. If the majority of the people say this is where we are going, then that is it and that is democracy. So, I believe that politics of Oyo State is just to be turned around. And all these so called heavyweights, I think they are going to be shocked at the end of the day. This is because the decision of the people is going to be final. Actually the vote is going to count.
How would you popularize the relatively unknown SDP in Oyo State?
It is not all that easy. It is about educating our people. They know already what we stood for. I am not just coming into the political arena. I have contested in the past and we have been engaged with our people all these years. We are doing a lot to introduce the party. And of course the SDP was used as a political party in 1993. So, it is not something totally new. And people also recognize the fact that freest and fairest election ever conducted in this country was won by the SDP. I will probably say, we have turned a full circle. But Oyo being a Pace Setter State, I will not be surprised that we are the one projecting this.
The reality is that the youth of these days are not really concerned about the party but about the candidate. So, once we have a large following from Omititun as a structure and they follow Seyi Makinde as a person, then all is well. That is what they care. And remember most of our youth are not illiterate. They are even better at identifying symbols. I thought where we need to do a lot of work is actually with the elderly people.
Do you have candidates across board?
We had hectic time sieving candidates. There is no constituency where SDP is not fielding candidates in the state for the election.
What are your chances of winning considering that you are contesting against those who have done it before?
That is actually our strength because the people that have done it before, people have seen their limitations. And for us, we haven’t done it before, but we have done a certain things that people have been able to see. And you can fool our people some of the time, you cannot fool them all the time. They are convinced where we are coming from. They know what we have done privately. They know precisely our engagement with them. They know precisely that over the years, we listened to some of the issues within our communities. So, ours is that we have been able to do some things privately and they know if we have the resources of government, we would even do a lot better.
What would you do different as governor if you eventually win?
Well, we have our manifesto and our campaign theme which we termed ‘Operation HEAP’. We are talking about Health care delivery. We are talking of making agriculture positive business in Oyo State and also weaning the state from over dependence on oil by projecting agriculture. We have education. We all see the level of decay of the infrastructure in Oyo State. We see students and pupils learning under a very difficult and unsafe condition. Dilapidated buildings here and there. Non-provision of material for the teachers.
And if you look at the WAEC results, Oyo State came last behind all the states in the south-west. We have a good shot at physical infrastructure. I am an engineer by training, and if I look at the current government, you will sympathize with us. If you go to Total Garden they made a fountain there which never works. So, to me, that is halfhearted way of doing things. We will get all we have into doing all those things.
And we have security in our manifesto. We intend to deepen the current security situation in our state and make it better and more responsive.
What are the factors you think would shape Oyo election in 2015?
I think the major factor is the personalities that are involved. I can characterize it for you. You have three of the candidates who are over 65 years old. You have two who are around 50 years old. I am 47 years old. And one of those two has been tested as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And people have seen what he has done and what he didn’t do. And you have a personality that kind of stood out. I believe people would gravitate towards me.
What is your take on generational shift?
That is what happens now all over the world. And if Oyo State, being a Pace Setter State, decides to actually go for generational shift, not just for the sake of it, but going to somebody with substance, and going there with a marking script. We will give to them what we intend them to do and the time frame within what to do them. Within that time frame, if we are not achieving and hitting our targets, then, people are going to know and hold us responsible for things we said we would be able to do.
What is your advice to the people of Oyo State?
My advice to the people of Oyo State is, don’t be deceived by people saying, oh, this is a new party. And on how are we going to comb all the nook and cranny of the state, over the next six weeks, I intend to cover almost everywhere within the state taking our messages to the homes of our people. They should listen to and listen to them as well and ask them questions on those promises made to them four years ago and if they have not satisfied the yearning of our people, then they should cast their votes for me, their son and humble servant, Seyi Makinde.