Leadnaija
Ogun State governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general elections, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, speaks on the gale of political defection, concluding that no single person can change the polity to a one party state, what Nigerians should expect in 2027, why he is shifting his political leaning to Oyo State, among other issues.
Why are you in Ibadan to visit Alhaji Rasheed Olopoeeyan?
I came to Ibadan because my father, family leader and political leader had invited me severely to come here to avail myself of the people. He asked me to come and do politics in the land of my father. Since the last election, he’d been calling me.
He repeated the call some weeks back but I told him I wasn’t in the country; that when I returned, I would heed his call. Today, our discussion is about for me to come and serve the people of Oyo State. I believe that is part of the call to serve our nation. That’s why I had to come to meet Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeeyan today.
You have always been known as a prominent politician in Ogun State. What background connects you with Oyo State?
Yes, my father is from Oja’gbo in Ibadan town. He happened to be a popular musician in Ibadan. My mother is from Ilaro, Ogun State where I am based. But Baba Olopoeeyan has always been calling to come and practice politics in Oyo State.
So, are we expecting that you are basically coming to Oyo State for politics?
As I said earlier, politics is about passion to serve the masses. As I have the passion, there is no where they ask me to come and I would not be. It’s about serving the nation, the masses. When they say it’s time, we are good to go anywhere we find ourselves.
Now that you are in Oyo State, what party are you joining?
My brother, we have not got to that stage. At present, Oguntoyinbo is of the NNPP. Even Baba Olopoeeyan has not officially declared for the PDP. He is still in NNPP. It is one step at a time. Whether he is in PDP or NNPP, he is my political leader; and it is a normal thing to visit leaders. That’s that.
With the gale of defection rocking the PDP, do you see Nigeria becoming a one-party state and the PDP surviving beyond 2027?
You are just speaking from the PDP angle alone. Let me tell you, it’s not possible to have a one-party system in Nigeria. It’s not possible. We are all exposed; a single person cannot change the polity.
I’m very sure that in the coming elections something special, unexpected and shocking will happen, except the incumbent and the Presidency change the current narrative. It is only by changing the narratives positively for the masses that we can avert the impending doom.
You are known to be a physiotherapist in Ogun State. What should the people of Ibadan be expecting from you?
A lot. We have a lot to do for our people. We have been doing it and we cannot stop doing it. We always want to make sure that a son of nobody becomes somebody. But we can’t do it alone; we need government power to do it optimally. We need all the means to help the masses.
Apart from being a politician, what informed your investment in young musicians?
Every human should have the mind to pay back to the society. In as much as God has helped me, and I realised that this is my father’s line of profession, I believe in helping other persons to grow. He was a musician. I was once a musician myself.
I believe in helping budding talents, other people to grow. That should be part of what should be said about me in the future. I believe in growing nations. It is necessary and compulsory to help one another.
