A woman’ll be better governor – Adubiaro As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has finally separated the genuine contenders for the Ekiti governorship ticket from the pretenders, using the payment of N10 million Nomination Fees and N1 million Expression of Interest Fees as the parameter, the agitation for a woman governor in the state has suddenly come to the fore. At the last count, no fewer than 33 aspirants were slugging it out among themselves to emerge as the party’s candidate. They held several meetings at the ward, council, state and national levels on the modalities for the emergence of the flagbearer, even after the party at the national level said payment of the prescribed N11 million was the first condition of being a genuine aspirant. However, at the close of payment of the prescribed fees to the party’s national body, only 18 of the 33 contenders picked the forms, thus becoming the aspirants ahead of the screening exercise expected to prune down the figure based on certain criteria. The aspirants now are Afenifere chieftain, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; former Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd); former High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Dare Bejide; former Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose; Senator Gbenga Aluko; former deputy governor, Mr Bisi Omoyeni; former Deputy governor, Surveryor Abiodun Aluko; and businessman, Mr Deji Ajayi. Others are former special adviser, Alhaja (Dr) Habibat Adubiaro; former aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Bodunde Adeyanju; Mrs Bosede Dada Bamisaye; Dr Peter Obafemi; Mr Wale Aribisala; Senator Bode Olowoporoku; Chief Ropo Ogunbolude; Mrs Bola Oloyede; Otunba Reuben Famuyibo, and Mrs Modupe Ogundipe. However, the agitation for the emergence of one of the four women in the race - Adubiaro, Bamisaye, Oloyede and Ogundipe - as the governor is gaining momentum by the day. This is as Adubiaro said “the time for a woman governor in the state is now”. Adubiaro, a university lecturer and former Special Adviser to a governor, disclosed that she was in the race “to provide the missing link in the lives of the people with special attention to women, children and the youth. I want to rebuild the present and the future of the state. That is why education will be given priority. That is why commerce, industry and agriculture, job creation and poverty alleviation will be central focus of my administration. Being the first time a woman will aspire to govern Ekiti, the women will like it, so, they will troop out in large numbers to vote for one of their own. The support and vote will cut across party line, gender basis and religious divides,” she stated. The seasoned politician from Ekiti Central Senatorial District, who expressed confidence that she would emerge the party’s governorship candidate based on her pedigree, said: “I am the most qualified among all the aspirants. I am a PhD holder and definitely, if I am elected, I know I will perform more than any other person. I will perform beyond the expectations of Ekiti people. The outgoing governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is a PhD holder; the incoming governor should not be short of that”. Adubiaro, who said industrialisation was necessary for the transformation of any society, said she could always recall her days as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member at Oodua Textile Industry, Ado Ekiti and the economic impact of the industry on the land and its people, said revival of the place would be her priority. I want to reinvigorate Oodua Textile Industry. That was where I had my NYSC. I know that more than 3,000 factory workers can work there conveniently and about 250 administrative workers. With that, our people will have where to work since there are no industries at present in Ekiti. It is very disheartening to see that the textiles industry has already been turned to shops by the Fayemi administration. I know the staff strength then, the equipment and what were in different sections. The conversion of these things to shops is really disheartening. That is the reason behind my plan to convert that place to its original functional textile industry where our people will work. That will be achievable through assessing the textile civilisation fund reserved for textile industries by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration,” she emphasized. According to her, in view of the importance of power supply to the state economy and individuals, her administration would convert Ero Dam to a hydro-electricity” since we all know what power failure is doing to us in Nigeria and Ekiti State in particular. I will also build another one at Arinta Waterfall. I will convert Arinta Waterfall to hydro-electricity dam to generate more electricity for our people. These will be boost to industrialisation. Her words: “Our women are clamouring for more shops to display their wares and materials for sale. I will build more modern shops with parking lots for the use of our women. The markets we have at present are outdated and the ones at the roadside had been demolished by the present administration. Definitely, I am also going to look at that. “Our state being agrarian, I have to establish farm development centres. We will introduce mechanised farming and where we have tractors, farming tools and fertilisers etc for farmers, and that will also be a way of giving our people empowerment and food security.” She added: In education, I will make sure bursary is released to our undergraduates on time; those that want to go for postgraduate, my administration will also look into it, by giving them enough fund to develop them because I passed through this stage and I know what I faced to be able to do my master’s and PhD. “I will look into the water situation in the state to ensure that tap water runs in homes and communities. I will ensure replacement of the rotten pipes.” Adubiaro, who described her party as government-in-waiting said: “PDP is going to win hands down in Ekiti State. Ekiti people need change. They want a government that will listen to their yearning and aspirations. They are yearning for change, having tested PDP governments in 2003 and 2007. They can now compare and contrast what PDP government did for them and what they are facing now in the hands of All Progressives Congress. Ekiti people are now saying it at any given opportunity that Fayemi is a total failure. Now they want PDP back to government because of what PDP government did in the state when it was in government,” Adubiaro added. said. She disagreed with those saying the selection of PDP candidate would generate crisis. According to her, all other aspirants will support the eventual candidate since the process will be acceptable. This, she said, would be in addition to the conflictresolution mechanism of the party, adding: “We are all from Ekiti and for its development”. The governorship hopeful, while appealing for support to her cause and that of gender-balancing, urged all the aspirants “to let us come together to be one because this party belongs to all of us. We should all listen and abide by the outcome from the President. Whatever the President says on the way forward, especially on the issues of zoning and consensus, should be final”.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 05:52:11 +0000
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