The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has said his experience in governance, exposure, and understanding of the state’s socio-economic challenges have positioned him to successfully lead the state as governor.
Adekanmbi stated this on Thursday during an interactive media engagement with media practitioners, political analysts, social media influencers and online news publishers at Themes, Jericho, Ibadan.
The session provided an opportunity for the candidate to share his vision for Oyo State, explain his preparedness for the governorship and respond to questions on governance, workers’ welfare, poverty reduction, education, youth empowerment and continuity in government.
Adekanmbi said his experience having a close relationship with three different former governors of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, the late Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala and the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, had exposed him to different approaches to governance and provided valuable lessons that would guide him if elected.
He added that he had also learnt from the administration of the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde, particularly in the areas of managing the state’s finances and ensuring the regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.
According to him, “I stand out. I have the experience and native intelligence to be the next governor of Oyo State.”
On workers’ salaries and pensions, the APM candidate expressed confidence that he would be able to sustain the prompt payment of workers ‘ salaries and pensions, noting that the Makinde administration had established a standard from which he had learnt.
“I won’t have a problem paying workers’ salaries and pensions because Governor Makinde has set a standard, and I have learnt a lot from his administration,” he said.
Adekanmbi, who highlighted his record of interventions targeted at vulnerable members of society, said his programmes had consistently focused on supporting underprivileged people and indigent citizens.
“All my programmes are always targeted towards the underprivileged and indigents,” he stated.
The APM candidate also commended some of the achievements recorded by the Makinde administration, but expressed concern that the government had not adequately publicised some of its accomplishments.
“Makinde’s government is unfair to itself because it does not broadcast some of its achievements,” Adekanmbi said.
Speaking on education and the growing concern over children who are out of school, Adekanmbi said his administration would rely on accurate and comprehensive data to identify vulnerable communities and design targeted interventions.
He stressed the need for the state to develop a comprehensive poverty map that would enable government to properly understand the distribution of poverty and direct resources to areas where they are most needed.
“I’ll use accurate data to plan for out-of-school children and provide targeted intervention. We need a poverty map,” he said.
Adekanmbi maintained that his ambition was driven by a desire to build on the progress recorded in the state while introducing policies capable of addressing emerging challenges and improving the welfare of residents.
He further emphasised the importance of experience, continuity, data-driven governance and deliberate interventions for vulnerable citizens in achieving sustainable development across Oyo State.
