•KOSOFE LG Boss, MOYO OGUNLEWE Reveals
He is regarded as one of the youngest and best-performing local government chairmen in the country today. If you ask those who know, they will tell you that Moyosore Ogunlewe is one of the brightest prospects of the ruling party, APC, when you talk about emerging young political forces that could hold the reins of power in the party when tomorrow comes. When he emerged victorious a little over a year ago to become the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, many of his critics thought his victory was a fluke and that his young age would not be able to carry the burden of running a massive local government like Kosofe. But the extremely intelligent and hardworking Moyosore has proven every one of them wrong. He has shown clearly that he is no fluke, he is his father’s child. In just a little over a year in office, Moyo has surpassed the expectations of everybody, including that of the opposition. The first thing he did was to hit the ground running. He has done things considered unprecedented in the local government before now, including dozens of road constructions. He has shown clearly that it is not going to be business as usual in Kosofe. He told anyone who cared to listen that there was work to be done and dividends of democracy had to be delivered to the people and that’s exactly what he has been able to achieve in just one year and a couple and months. And from what City People found out, the people of Kosofe believe he has done remarkably well so far and they are indeed grateful to him.
Last week, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) engaged the dashing young Moyosore to speak on his mentor and role model, the national leader of the All Progressives Party (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his chances of winning next year’s presidential elections. Trust him, he is ever so passionate about the Jagaban and has no apologies letting anyone know Tinubu is the best thing to happen to Nigeria at this critical point in time. Here are excerpts of the interview.
Looking back, would you say you made your best political career move crossing over to the APC?
Oh, yes, of course. You know I’ve always been a member of the progressive. For people that didn’t know, I was with the UNCP, SDP. AD, before I joined the PDP, but I’m back where I belong. I’m back to the progressive. I’m back to the party that gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself. I’m back in the party that wants to win elections which is quite important. I would like to thank my mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for creating the enabling environment for young people like us to thrive. By God’s grace, may God grant you your heart’s desire and make you the president of this country. You will be president by God’s grace. That’s my mentor. I look up to him. I listen to him and I know that he knows he has a son that will do so well.
Tell us what your thoughts are about how Asiwaju has conducted himself and carried himself so far in his quest to become the president of this country, starting from the moment he won the ticket of the APC at the primary election…
He is a selfless man and everybody can see that. After winning the primary, he moved round, reconciling with people that he contested with. That’s one thing we must respect from him. As a politician, reconciliation is key because you don’t know who can do damage to your aspirations. You might start thinking ‘I’m the super star and the you ignore some people’, no, the man flew around the country, reconciling with people, had meetings in London, had meetings in different parts of the country, sorting things out with the people that he ran against. For me, that’s the kind of politics we should play. What he is saying is that he’s not a winner takes all kind of politician, and he’s saying join hands with me and let’s move this country forward and that’s what he has done. I love him. I wish him well. I wish him good health, sound health to drive this country forward.
Does it concern you or bother you that people still raise the issue of Asiwaju’s health even after seeing how he handled all the rigours of traveling round the country for consultations, reconciliation and the rest?
I don’t think that will affect his mentality of how to govern the country. And let me tell you why. Everyone is just making noise, saying Asiwaju is sick, the fact is that every young person above 40 years has one health issue or the other they are battling with. It’s either you’re hypertensive or you’re diabetic, but you know, it’s not a big deal, as long as you can manage it. And the most important thing is to deliver. So, if you’re telling me Asiwaju is sick, Asiwaju is sick, that’s not what we should be talking about. What we should be talking about is what has he done and what is he going to do? And what does he have for us as a nation? How is he going to transform our economy? What plans does he have for the youths? That’s what we should be talking about and not telling me that he is sick. Every young person from the age of 40 is sick, either battling with high BP, or is diabetic, or has fatty liver, so it shouldn’t be a big deal as long as he can manage his health properly and also manage governance, I think that’s what we should be talking about.
What are his chances? Do you think he stands a realy good chance of winning the presidential election?
We are going to win the election with a landslide victory insha Allah.
Tell us your thoughts about the OBIdient movement..
Well, for me, it’s good when there is competition, that’s why politics is so interesting. I like the OBIdient movement. I love it. I watch them. But the polls are totally different from that. Obi, yes, in another eight years, he might be ready and better prepared to rule the country, but right now we need somebody to set the pace for us so that some of the younger ones can also begin to come on board. The next eight years, there are going to be a lot more competitors as well, so it may not be Obidients then running for president, it could be me. This is politics, everybody should be ready to face it. Asiwaju is facing his own now. It’s not going to be a roller coaster ride, you won’t have it going for you all the time, so definitely, its something you must fight for. So, Obidients must be ready to fight for their own in the next eight yers and tell them that some younger ones are also coming for them.
Tell us about dad, how impressed has he been with you so far? How much support are you getting from him?
Well, he has been very proud of me. He has set the pace for me. He advices me, tells me a lot about governance and tells me what I should watch out for and all that. So, for me, I feel I’m learning a lot from one of the greatest politicians I’ve ever known, which is my father. He was the first to predict that Asiwaju was going to win the election and Asiwaju has also said it, so I’m not just saying this out of the blues. He knows the game. He predicts the game. He knows where we will have issues and he knows where we’ll win. And he’s working so, so hard for Asiwaju to win this election and I believe in him. And one other thing will help Asiwaju is that he is surrounded by people like him. People who know the game inside out. I am talking about experienced politicians who know how to win elections. Asiwaju has them in every region of the country. That is why he is not distracted by all the noise going on around him. That is why he is not bothered by the noise of the PDP or the Obidients because he knows he has the best hands working for his victory. My father is one of the best around as far as politics is concerned and I know that whatever he puts his mind in, with all his might and all that he has garnered over the years, I’m sure we will get victory in this election.
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