A seasoned politician with an enviable pedigree, Dapo Abiodun who is also an oil mogul spoke with selected journalists recently at his palatial mansion about his senatorial ambition on the platform of APC. WALE ADEWUMI was there too. Excerpts…

When did you decided to contest for senatorial seat in the 2015 election?

I have always been in politics. If you remember, I contested for this same position quite a few years ago during the time of United Nigeria Congress Party UNCP and other political parties. I actually won that election, but the President, the military Commander-In-Chief who was trying to transform into a civilian president died and a new helmsman came in and dissolved the five political parties that we have then. I also contested under the PDP for the same Ogun East senatorial ticket. And I had also contested for the governorship of this state. I later decided to go back and focus on my businesses. But I have nonetheless been involved in politics from time at different levels of aspiration.

Coming back now, I have been informed by the fact that I have actually demonstrated the quality to serve people. These are leadership positions that you serve in having demonstrated a successful track either in your business line or in other areas. I feel that it is about time I came and give back to people and make a difference. Of course, it took a bit of time for me to take that decision. I consulted widely on it. It wasn’t a decision I woke up suddenly and just took.

You were a foundation member of PDP in Ogun State under the platform you even contested for governorship. Why are you now contesting for Senate under the platform of APC?

The party I belonged to originally metamorphosed into PDP. So, my going into PDP was a natural step. And you will agree with me that in Nigeria, our politics is not yet evolved into politics of ideology. Our politics is not yet ideology based. Having run under the platform of PDP a few years ago and having chosen to remain in active politics, my desire was to give support to whoever I was convinced would serve the people with utmost dedication and honesty, regardless of party affiliation. If I feel that you are in APC and you are doing well and you are representing your people in accordance with the mandate given to you, I will offer my support. I will do the same thing if you are a PDP person and you are doing well for your people.

The whole idea behind politics is to enable us to choose people’s representation. And the reason why the representation is tenure based, is, when and if those representations are not justified, you have the opportunity to replace them. Yes, I was in PDP, and today I’m in APC. I really bided my time to take that decision. The Governor of this State today, His Excellency Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is the best thing that has happened to Ogun State. At my level and age, I cannot decide to play politics in this State and play politics of sycophancy or sentiment. I’m not going into politics to look for business opportunities. All I want in politics is to serve people and make impacts. What I desire in politics is to give back to people and adding values.

Amosun is a governor that, by providence, has been voted into office, and we see other previous governors before him. Amosun is one of the most honest governors I have seen. I’m not being patronizing. He is sincere, he is focused, he is diligent and he is dedicated. Not only does he have the will, he has the desire, he is committed to the cause of the common man in this State and he has shown that he is a true believer and a humble servant. He may not be hundred-percent perfect but I’m saying, these are qualities that I have seen in this person. As a citizen of Nigeria and Ogun State, if truly what I want to do is to help move this State forward, I believe, and I was convinced that one sure way to do that is to join hands with Governor Amosun who is doing very well and cooperate with him. Not to start fighting him just for the sake of wanting to make a name or making money and fame. Politics is not a game, it is about adding values to people’s lives. So, I decided that this man was adding values to people, I wanted to support him. Amosun, within three years, has raised the State’s IGR from 500 million Naira, which his predecessor was struggling with for an eight-year period, to almost, 5 billion Naira.

In Ogun State under Amosun, we are seeing infrastructure unprecedented across the three Senatorial Districts. Ogun State under Amosun has gone from being number 20-something in ranking in terms of industrialization, to number one. The State has now been turned around to become an investment destination in this country. Now, what other indices do you need to assess the performance of Governor Amosun? What more do you need to be subscribed to a cause? So, for me, the choices were very clear. Am I to align with those who want to remove this governor so that we can bring Ogun State back to where it was before Amosun came into office or am I to align myself with this governor who we have not seen such since the creation of this State?

What is your take on the rift between you and former Governor Olusegun Osoba?

I want to describe it as unfortunate. But in politics, it is also not uncommon. With due respect to Chief Osoba, he is a very seasoned and astute politician. He is actually one of the politicians I still look up to for inspiration. He came from the media, rose to become governor, he’s got immense goodwill, he’s got immense experience and he was governor of this State for six years. He did well. It is very unfortunate that the issues that caused the crack, and I’m surprised, that they could not be fixed. I didn’t think that they were issues impossible to fix because I was virtually involved in several party meetings where efforts were made to resolve the issues. It is unlike Chief Osoba, to begin something and abandon it midway. It is unlike Chief Osoba to want to destroy a house that he has built. That is why I’m still not convinced that Chief Osoba has left his party, APC. I have not seen him for some days. But I’m not convinced that the issues are irreparable. So, I’m still optimistic that something can still be done, that we can still sit and settle this matter like one family and move forward.

You are a politician who mixes with friends from opposition political parties, will this not affect your chances with Governor Amosun based on your cordial friendship?
Presently, I’m an aspirant. By the grace of God, I pray that I will become the candidate of the party. After becoming the candidate of the party, I will be soliciting for the support of every person that lives in my senatorial district. The objective for me is not to look for votes from members of APC alone. If we look at the list of members of APC in my district, I don’t think it is enough to make me senator. There are a lot of people in my district that don’t belong in any party. They are just the populace who are going about their normal businesses. So, I will be appealing to them for votes, I will be appealing to members of my party, APC and I will be appealing to PDP members who had shared with me at one point in time or the other. I’m hoping that my election will be an election of not just the fact that you are voting for the party but because of where the candidate had been and where I’m coming from.

Will you also be soliciting for votes from members of SDP if they exist in your district?
I don’t know about SDP, I don’t know whether that party exists or not, but if there is any such party or other parties, I’m hoping that I will be able to appeal to them for support. So, I’m sure that my governor would welcome the idea that my doors are open to all and sundry.

There is an incumbent senator from your district, Gbenga Kaka, a member of your party, who still has interest to return to office, why are you contesting against him?

I’m not very anxious to discuss personalities. All I will like to say is that we will offer a change and progress. I think that if I have been able to build a business from nothing, if I have been able to put and assemble human resource together and take my businesses to where they are today, I think that I should be able to offer very good, meaningful and purposeful representation to our people in Ogun East Senatorial District. I’m offering myself to serve them and provide for them leadership that would touch their lives in every way.

You sound so confident about winning the election, what gives you the confidence for victory?

I ran for public office and I know every nook and cranny of this State. Before I started this campaign, I had gone round all local governments to speak to different interest groups, the women group, youth group and the Councilors who are the closest to the grassroots. So, we are not just trying to run an elitist campaign by sitting down with party bigwigs. We are going to those that we feel are arrowheads of their local governments to discuss with them problems of their various territories. We ask how we can deal with their problems. The idea is to identify with what their needs are. So, I want to assure you that my people will soon be smiling. In fact, they are already smiling.