Former Senator and ex Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has declared his intention to contest for the Governorship election in 2015 under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (P.D.P). He made this known at the declaration programme held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
In his speech, Senator Obanikoro, while standing in front of a large overwhelming crowd emphasized that if voted in, his administration will be grounded on three main priorities which are; grassroot governance, simple solutions and education. Noting that education is the key where the poor and masses are empowered and educated, the chances of the state progressing is high.
“When you deliberately sideline the poor from getting educated, you are calling for a disaster, it is a disaster that you might not see next year or in two years but down the line that is exactly what you will have because you have shut out the majority in the people. But my own government will bring hope to the hopeless and ensure that we create an educational system that is affordable to all”, he said.
He lamented on the lapses of the present administration focusing efforts on the developments of infrastructures in the areas harboring the rich, affluent and privileged where billions of naira is spent to link areas like Ozumba Mbadiwe Road with Falomo bridge, Lekki with Ikoyi and the likes, also making life difficult to live for the market women and traders when they are being denied of the market place
He promised to invest greater resources on infrastructural development in the sub-urb areas and improve the standard of living of the masses.
According to him, “Today there is no way a struggling man in Lagos even the so called middle class can afford to buy a property in our state. This intervention we intend to do will ensure there is affordable housing in the true sense of it.”
Senator Obanikoro, assured of a ‘Greater Lagos’ where small businesses are not multi taxed and harassed, hospitals are not flooded with malaria pat stating that 70% of sicknesses in hospitals are malaria diagnosed and will therefore work to ensure that malaria centres are created in the 20 local government areas of the state. Part of his agenda is also to resuscitate the effectiveness and efficiency of the local government chairmen as the state cannot be run by a single person but rather with the support of all. He further pointed out that with his wealth of experience as a grassroots politician he remains the right candidate that can flush out the hardship the APC had made the masses to experience by this present administration right from its inception. He therefore enjoined people to show their maximum support to help achieve his goals for the state, as he acknowledges that power comes from God and not a godfather anywhere.
In his address, the Chairman of the peoples’ Democratic Party Southwest, Makanjuola Ogundipe, implored Lagosians to offer their support to enable the party to sweep away the functionality of the APC in the state come 2015.
Fuji Musician, Saheed Osupa and the Double Wahala Crooner, Oritse femi were at the event to entertain the supporters of the party.
