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I Have No Plan To Become A Lagos Senator For Now – Aregbesola

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...Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, with his Deputy...during the event...

The governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reacted to speculations about his ambition to contest for Lagos West Senatorial seat in 2019 saying that there ‘is no such decision yet’.

There was speculations in some quarters that Aregbesola was planning to go back to Lagos and contest the senatorial election in his constituency there knowing fully well that he cannot win if he contest  at his Ilesa East federal constituency in Osun state.

Speaking at an interactive programme tagged: ‘Ogbeni Till Day break’ which ran from late Friday night till the early hours of Saturday in Osogbo, the governor declared that he  can contest either in Lagos or Osun state when the time comes.

The governor who noted that he is large in Osun state as well as in Lagos state said that he would prove to the world that politics is a calling and a noble profession.

According to him, “Rauf can appear anywhere to contest when the time comes. But there is no such decision yet. I still have time to make up my mind on where to contest.”

Aregbesola who spoke about the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state said APC is the party to beat in the state.

His words: “APC in the state is as solid, strong and effective as any party can be.

“There is no aspect of our party’s organisation and management that have suffered in any form in respect of who will be my successor.

“We are united, connected and working so well for the progress of the party. We are the most cohesive political party in the state.

“The opposition is dismembered and in total disarray. There is no aspect of party administration and management that has suffered in Osun APC.”

The governor, however, said that no opposition party in the state could withstand APC in 2018 governorship election.

“If the only opposition party we have in the state is disorganised, dismembered, then where is the fear for 2018 election?

“Our party cannot be threatened because we have the most cohesive political formation in Osun.”

Enumerating the various achievements of his government, he listed infrastructural projects, state of the art schools, youth empowerment programmes among others as his long term legacies for the state, and then promised to complete them before leaving office in 18 months’ time.

He berated the financial quagmire facing the country saying the situation hampered his government’s development agenda.

“As they say, when there is money, you can do anything. But if there is no or little resources, it means we have limits to what we can do and that is why we have issues with some of our programmes and policies in implementing them to our wish.

“Since, the entity Osun emerged some decades ago; there has never been any administration that has done the number of bridges we have so far constructed in the state, the previous administration did only one on the Gbodofon road, but we have constructed more than six solid bridges which people can see.

“No state in Nigeria can dare our school feeding programme, its continuity despite the huge financial mess we are is one of our long standing legacies and input to maintaining sound and qualitative education in our state. Since 2012, we have been feeding 250,000 pupils, It’s a record I’m waiting for anyone to beat.”

Aregbesola also stressed that the government is cost effective in its road construction such that a kilometer of road is constructed with the best standard boasting that “If anything wrong happens in the way with which we do our roads, hold me responsible.”

The APC Chairman in the State, Mr Gboyega Famodun, who the governor also asked to speak on 2018 election in the state, said that the party had not chosen anyone as its candidate.

“There is no governorship aspirant in the party as far as I know.

“The insubordination of few members of the party does not mean that the party is being threatened ahead of 2018 governorship election.

“We have a very strong structure in the state.”

Famodun said that there was no timetable yet from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the 2018 election in the state.

There was also a minute silence in honour of the former Governor of the state, Sen. Isiaka Adeleke who passed on recently.

At the event were the Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam represented by Hon Abiodun Awolola, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi Telu 1, Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin among others.

Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo

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