2015: I’ll break 2nd term jinx in Oyo, says Ajimobi

Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, the Governor of Oyo State, is
also the governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), for the February 28 election.
In an interview with journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, he
expressed confidence that he would win the election and
break the so- called second term jinx in the state.
Exerpts :
Don’t you think that defection of some chieftains of your
party to other parties can affect your electoral fortune next
months?
Some chieftains of other parties are also defecting to us. You
know, this game is people come, people go. It is a game of
the office remains. But on a more serious note, if you assess
those who have defected, I don’t want to mention names, they
are looking for greener pastures. Some want to be governor
and since they cannot get it in this party, they go to other
parties. And when they got there and they discovered they
couldn’t get it again, they settled for what they could be. It is
just that some cannot come back. But I am wondering
whether it is worth going there.
Don’t you see them as threat to your victory?
If we begin to assess them, I believe to you outsiders, they
pose serious threat to us. However, I don’t see the threat.
When some of them came, we were in the progressives when
they came. Who did they bring? And when they left, who did
they leave with? As far as we are concerned, elections are
coming and we will see the results. But as far as I am
concerned, we have done our own work and we don’t see the
threat they are posing.
Are you comfortable about the second term jinx in Oyo State?
No, there is no jinx here. Awolowo did two terms in the
Western Region. And since Oyo was created, nobody has done
two terms. Since Nigeria was created, no Jonathan has
become president. But now, one Jonathan became president.
Since I was born, I never became governor. Now, I became
governor. None of my family members has become governor. I
became the first one. I don’t believe there is any jinx. I think it
was just one man – Chief Dejo Raimi, that said it that, no,
people don’t do two terms in Oyo State. And that is why we
are not developing. Our development is not consistent. Lagos
State is developing today because there is consistency of
good governance. And I honestly believe in Oyo State that I
am going to break that jinx. I just believe it. And you can see
how. With what we have done, Oyo people are very intelligent,
they have seen through our detractors’ propaganda. People
will say a lot of things but I don’t have any doubt of winning
second term.
The only thing we are competing with is rigging. I honestly
believe that, the major party that is our major contender has
been divided into four. Two, I have contested election three
times. I won the three, I was denied one. And in the result of
the one that I was denied, the number of votes was more than
the number of voters. So, what we are saying is that, all
things being equal, and all things are never equal, I honestly
believe that, if INEC provides a level playground, which I hope
they will, with the integrity of Professor Jaga there, and all of
the INEC officials, I will win. Let me add before I forget. You
asked why am I sure we are going to win? It is because the
people competing with us, we have x-rayed them. For
instance, one of the former governors refunded N500m to
EFCC. Is that one still going to be governor? The money they
refunded is the one we are using to build schools. It is only in
Nigeria that people with questionable character, people that
have been accused, people that are yet to clear their names,
people that have cases with security agencies, still have the
audacity to come and campaign? You know there is integrity
question. But, this is Nigeria, everything is possible. So,
coming to the issue of people decamping from us. a lot of
people are decamping to us. People with huge supporters. Let
me keep their names. Just be on the lookout in the next one
week. They have met us, they have discussed with us. We
have sealed it up. They have more followership. And let me
say that, sometimes, the media help politicians to feel bigger
than they are. You are very good at helping us to feel bigger
than we are.
Are you not afraid that having many contestants can affect
your votes negatively?
Like in all contests, we are many. But the beauty of it is that
some of us already have track record that people can
reference for. Of the so called prominent contenders, we have
three that have been in public service. Of those three, we have
two that have been governor before. And we have one that
has been a Senator, and a Senate Leader. I think if we look at
the track record of each and every one of us, you can safely
say that the assessment of each of us is easier than
somebody who has not been in public service. And I believe
that, the record of the former governors-the two of them, are
there to compare with mine. And when you look at those
records, whether in the areas of social infrastructure, physical
infrastructure, peace safety, and security, which I consider to
be the foundation for a meaningful development in any state
or in any nation, you will discover that we stand out. The
government of APC headed by Senator Abiola Ajimobi, is
synonymous with peace and security in the state. And you can
see that in the last few years-eight, nine years, before we
came in, Oyo State was known as a state of brigandage,
violence. But today, the record ,even as highlighted by security
agencies, and in particular published by the police, confirmed
that Oyo State is safer, more secured and more peaceful.
Murder cases have gone than considerably. Apart from murder
cases, we have established agencies that support the security
agencies. We have what we call Operation Burst, where we
have been able to give Police and bring together all security
agencies-Police, army, DSS, Imigration, Civil Defence, all of
them, and we have supported them with equipment like
vehicles, bullet proof vest, to ensure that Oyo State is very
safe for the people.
So, the foundation of our administration is safety and security
of life and property. And I need to say that comparatively, we
are far ahead in safety, peace and security than any of these
previous governments. And statistics are there to see. For
instance, murder cases, prior to 2011/2012 was recorded at
about 84. In Oyo State in the last three years, it has come
down to about four. Armed robbery cases were about 48. And
since we came in, it has reduced to less than five. Kidnapping
and so on, only one was recorded in Oyo State since the
beginning of our administration. So, the statistics also support
the fact that, Oyo State is now one of the safest, and most
peaceful in Nigeria. So, that is the area of safety and security.
I believe that if you look at other parameters like social
infrastructure, social infrastructure meaning education, water,
energy in general, we have done better than previous
administrations. And again, the statistics are there. For
instance, before we came in, Asejire Dam, Eleyele Waterworks,
were all producing less than 10 percent capacity. Today as I
am talking to you, we are producing about 80 percent, which,
of course, resulted to more water to drink. We have repaired
and rehabilitated many waterworks. Oke Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo
and others. So, in terms of provision of water, we have done a
lot better than previous administrations.
What then can you say about the allegation that you left out
Oke Ogun axis in your development efforts?
It is all politics. This government has developed more zones
than any other zones before us. One, there was no
government that has dualised all the entry points into major
cities than this government. When we came in, for the first
time, the entry into Ibadan, we dualised it. That is Challenge
axis. One going to Adelabu Market to Orita. We have dualised
more roads than any other government before us. Two, when
we leave Ibadan, we now go to Ogbomoso. Ogbomoso has
never had a dualised road. It is this government that is giving
them dualised road. Not only that, Ogbomoso Town Hall, it is
this government that has built it for them. They used to have
a Lord Lugard town hall. Today, they have a modern type of
hall in Ogbomoso. Now, if you leave Ogbomoso, you go to Oke
Ogun. The zone has Oke Ogun 1 and Okeogun 2. Iseyin is the
entry point to Oke Ogun. They have never had dualised road.
My administration introduced the dualised road. The best
NYSC camp in Nigeria was built by us. It is in Iseyin. And
when you look at education, all their satellite campuses, we
have now upgraded them to full fledged polytechnics. What
does that means? Education has a multiplier effect on
development. There are cities and counties in the United
States that they are called university towns, where once you
put them there, development will spring up. So, when you talk
of Oke Ogun, we have done that. We have given them schools,
we have given them roads. It is not only dualised roads. It is
about 15 roads. And I can list them. We have Saki road, Out
Alaga road, Itesiwaju road, Saki West and so on. We have just
awarded contract for Saki/Polythechnic/Bariba road
dualisation despite the one we have done in Iseyin.
More importantly, for Oke Ogun, we believe that more than
anybody else, we have developed their roads.
Oyo town too has never had any dualised road before. Our
own is the first one we are doing. And the whole town is very
happy with us. We have given Oke Ogun waterworks. We are
even doing Radio Station at Atiba, Oyo. I want to know, which
other government that has done these in terms of development
for that zone. We took it zone by zone and I challenge
anybody to tell us which government has ever dualised their
roads.