By Peter Dada
A former member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Mr Mayowa Akinfolarin, on Wednesday, declared his interest in contesting in the governorship election in the state later this year.
Akinfolarin, a two-term federal lawmaker who represented the Ile-Oluji Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency between 2015 and 2023, declared that the state needed to be reconfigured.
He stated this while speaking with journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday.
The former federal lawmaker said, “Ondo state is full of potential, human and material alike. It is one of the most prosperous states in this country because we have so many things that can make us great.
“Ondo State is where 70 per cent population is totally engaged in farming. But nobody is paying serious attention to that. All we are doing is to bring projects that will bring money for us; we must start paying attention to the informal sector where we have the majority of our people.”
Declaring his intention to contest the forthcoming governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Akinfolarin said Ondo State needed a leader to bridge the gap between the government and the people.
“Although we have so many people on the ground, my own case is different. If you look at the state of affairs in the state, you will all agree with me that Ondo State needs to be reconfigured; we need to reconfigure the developmental structure of this state because there seem to be some gaps between the government and the people in recent times.
“I’m properly rooted in this state, so I know what it takes to govern Ondo State and with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some of us think that we need to come together to move this state forward.”
The ex-Rep said there was a need to immortalise the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, whom he described as a straightforward person.
“We will be very unkind to Aketi (Akeredolu) if nothing is done to immortalise him. This was a man that came with good intentions, he did his best, he was not a pretender, he was a practical person and ensured that not only the state but the entire South-West region was safe through the Amotekun corps.”
Source: The Punch