— l’m not in race to play, but to win

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

Former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA), Prof Adedayo Faduyile, has joined the Ondo state governorship race.

Faduyile, a professor of medicine, declared that he is better than all the aspirants including governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Speaking in Akure, the state capital, Faduyile, who declared his governorship ambition on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, said that he’s in the governorship race to win and not to negotiate.

“I’m a professor of medicine. Professor of Medicine is not something you get by chieftaincy or by votes. I’ll not come and waste my time on negotiation. There is no reason why I should come and seek negotiation. I’m not here to play; I’m here to win.

“When we are talking about leading the state, we must have someone who has done very well in his or her own profession.

“I must tell you, I’m a doctor. I’m not only a doctor; I’m a consultant, and that is the zenith of being a practicing medical doctor.

“I contested in 2020 against the incumbent then. So it is not a new thing for me to contest against an incumbent. But in 2020, I collapsed my structure with the incumbent.

“The only superior argument that made me do that was because of the agreement on zoning in the state. For every other reason, I was adamant.

“Now it is the south by Providence or otherwise, the governor is no more, and the deputy has now become the governor, and he is from the south.

“The question is, should I just bury my interest or ambition? The answer is that if you are very confident in what you want to say to change the narrative, you will still contest it. Even when Aketi was contesting, I still contested against him.

“If our party now says this is the person they have picked and it is not me, that I’ll go to another party or go and disrupt the process, the thing is, while you are planning your own, you look at the positive side.

“The second one is for you to be picked either by ballot, consensus, or imposition, but it is left for you to elect yourself, and this is what I’m doing, but I know God is on my side; if it is by direct delegate, I’ll emerge. And if it is by imposition, that imposition will be Professor Dayo Faduyile.

“To face an incumbent governor, you have to put in more effort. I want to also wish my brother, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, luck in his campaign, but look at us together; I’m better than him in many ramifications.

Speaking on his plan for the state, Faduyile said that “l am running because the stake couldn’t be higher: Our health system (primary and tertiary) needs immediate revamp. We have to create an environment in which our medical practitioners want to live and work.

“Aggressive revamp of our education system. We need to take back our position as the pathfinder of education in the country.

“Embark on massive infrastructure rehabilitation of our edifices including modernizing our road networks.

Exploration of renewable energy to resolve our electricity issues. We are the sunshine state.

“Open our seaside for tourism, hospitality, and blue economy.

Engage our energetic youth in technology and artificial intelligence.

Ensuring the sports development is enhanced for our teeming youth.

“Adaptation of mechanized farming. We need to cultivate our vast fertile land.

“Upgrade our security infrastructure. We must say something when we see something.

“This is the time for a new leadership, a dedicated, compassionate,  intelligent, prudent, and trustworthy leader that will work around the clock to ensure Ondo State becomes the hub for modern medicine, tourism and hospitality, food basket of Nigeria, citadel of education, safe, and technologically advanced state.

“As your next governor, I will listen and hear every one of your issues from the seaside of Ilaje to the hillside of Idanre; from the thick forest of IleOluji to the plains of Akoko; from the fertile land of Ikale to the rich cultural area of Owo; from the trade center of Akure to the creeks of Ese-Odo; and to the sweet aroma of cocoa of Ondo.

“I  am asking you to join me in this journey as we chart a new path, a new agreement, a new promise, and above all, a new beginning for a new modern Ondo where the child of fisherman or daughter of a carpenter can dare to dream and become whatever they aspire to be.

On the choice of primary election to pick the party’s flagbearear, Faduyile said that “The leadership of the party can choose any mode of primaries. I have seen cases in which consensus has been reached and the results have been satisfactory to the members of the party.

” I have had the opportunity to see where indirect primaries have been used in the same way as direct primaries.

“Whichever one the leadership of the party wishes to use, anybody who wants to aspire must be ready for any of those three, which are in the rules of the APC.

“But with what has been happening in recent times, it looks to me that the best approach is a direct primary, but the leadership of the party can adopt any of these three.

He added that “Any decision proposed by the leadership of the party is acceptable to me, and we will do our best to defeat any other candidate who we’ll contest together at the primary.