Dr. Babalola Owolabi, medical doctor, politician and administrator, was commissioner for health in the immediate past administration of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala in Oyo State. In this interview, Owolabi bares his mind on why he wants to be the next governor of Oyo State, the politics of the state, the forthcoming primary election, among others.

BY HENRY UMORU
Why do you want to be the governor of Oyo State?
My experience at the level of the state and at the grassroots level, has persuaded our people convincingly to start to bring forth questions about true representation. I want to say that my political experience has been planning elections under the platform of the PDP for two successful administrations.

Babalola Owolabi

What is your relationship with those at the grass roots?
It is important to know that no worthy true representation can emerge except there is a connection and I mean a very good connection with the people.

Having served at the cabinet in Oyo State, not only have I related so well with our people and particularly with the poor, I had the opportunity of being at a critical junctions of policy formulation and implementation.

As I speak with you, it will be left for you to find out, but we have representation across the 33 local governments of Oyo State. That includes also the ward level.

First, you have to consult at the local government level and at the ward levels and also most importantly our leaders, on the desirability not only for us to have a change in Oyo State. And I make it very bold that the last election was won by PDP, but the then ACN which has now transformed into an amalgam of APC, did not win that election. And I can say that categorically for the entire Southwest and I just want to leave it at that for others.

What do you have that can make you outwit your rivals in your party including your former boss, Bayo Alao-Akala and other major gladiators?
I do agree with you that Akala was my governor and I served with him, I represented adequately the interest of our people irrespective of nativity and I am very confident that they will support me knowing that I have humble knowledge of the major challenges that confront the state. And I have been also, not someone on the sidelines, but been there consistently over time and I think that we should get to the bridge then we will be able to cross it.

How do you and your party plan to sweep the entire Southwest as you have all boasted?
First and foremost, you are familiar with the history of Ekiti and Osun States. That is before this dispensation. We won the elections in Ekiti State and Osun State and we lost at the platform of the judiciary. I assume that the thing is playing out now. But PDP remains a law abiding party and this is why today, Senator Iyiola Omisore and a team of lawyers are coming together to challenge the outcome of Osun election. Ekiti is gone.

Albeit , historically the people of the South West have always been “progressives” because it is ironical that APC today is labelling itself as a progressive party, but the word progressive itself is from the lefties. In other words, they have misconstrued the APC in its agenda, have completely misconstrued what progressive policy is all about.

You said you have a special package for the women in Oyo state when you come into power. You said 80% grant will go to the women. Have you taken a survey of how many women are in the state and how you are going to distribute the grant?
We have an empirical labyrinth evidence to demonstrate the impact that micro credit will have particularly on women and therefore household income. Our target is to improve household income and women particularly will be targeted because not only do you find all women, most women as peasant farmers or as small petty traders.

But if you give for instance, X amount of money, 80% of X amount of money for the micro finance programme is what will be targeted to the women because it is the women that will look after the children, it is the women that will guarantee that a child goes to school, it is the women that will take a child to the hospital most often.

And this is why if we have and we will have a chunk of our budget as we have outlined on this five pronged strategy that is why we want to focus the amount of available resources to 80% of women, particularly the rural women and the urban poor.

And once we are able to do that, that will reverberate on not only the income, on the children. It will reflect even on the overall life style of the women, it will reflect on the education and so you have taken the family unit out of poverty and this is why that is important.

Will you dump the PDP if you fail to get the party’s ticket?
I can never decamp from my party, the PDP and I assure you that we have so much behind us that I cannot fail.

Will you agree for a consensus candidate? If you are all called to step down for one of the aspirants?
For me the party is supreme. The decision of my leaders at the national and at the state is all binding. But I am sure that the processes that will lead to it will be very exhaustive considering the potentials and individuals, understanding of the gamut of challenges that besiege Oyo state. And I am sure that is the most important determinant factor of the primary outcome.