A governorship aspirant of the Social Democratic Party, Sunday Babalola, has charged his supporters to obtain their Permanent Voters Card and participate fully in the 2023 general elections, saying that votes still count in the country.
Babalola offered the counsel in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government area of Kwara state on Thursday while declaring his interest to contest for the governorship election of the state on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in the forthcoming 2023 polls.
Expressing confidence in the country’s electoral system, Babalola said, “If votes don’t count, they will not be stealing ballot boxes, so votes really do count, go and get your PVC and I’m appealing to all my supporters, go out there and campaign vigorously for the victory of the Social Democratic Party.”
Babalola noted that the “Ó tó gẹ́” (Enough is Enough) mantra touted for campaign in the 2019 election in the state had not solved the problems of the people, adding that his reasons for eyeing the state’s gubernatorial seat was to provide solution to the myriad of problems facing the state.
He said he was only heeding “the call of the people” to the pressing challenges afflicting the nation, as people are generally suffering amid infrastructural deficits and growing insecurity in the land.
“Farmers are crying, the traders are crying; people who think that I would make a difference call on me: “you must contest; you must come out so that you can help us to change the State”, and I did mention a few of them in my address,” Babalola remarked.
Speaking on his vision if emerged as the governor of the state, he said, “We are going to be a government of the people by the people and for the people.
“We are going to touch every community, know their needs; we are going to prioritize everything that they list on.
“If they tell us they need this and this, we are going to give priority to each of them.
“We are going to also do some revenue drive in order for us to have enough resources; we are going to close all fund leakages, financial leakages, remove things that are taking the funds away.
Reeling out other benefits upon his election, the governorship hope assured electorates there would be provisions of clean water supply, as well as a quality education system.
“We are going to make the classrooms where our children are receiving lessons very comfortable for reading; we are going to train the teachers; we are going to enhance the civil service so that they can perform even more efficiently,” Babalola said.
He also promised to make farming easy for the people whilst returning to mechanized farming.
“Even in 2022, we are still farming with hoes and do things the way they did it in the 19th century and in the 18th century. These things are wrong and need to be changed,” he added.
“We are going to also make sure that we enhance the security. We already have our plans and we are going to follow those plans.
“We have a covenant with the people of Kwara State and we are going to be ruling out our manifestos so that people would be able to check whether we are performing or we are not performing.
“It’s going to be an all-inclusive government, nobody will be left out,” he vowed.
In her reaction, the women leader in the state, Olajumoke Oyewole, stressed the importance of women in the society and urged the governorship aspirant, upon his election, to dance to the tunes of modern democratic reforms, by empowering the womenfolk.
Oyewole promised that women in the state would equally play their roles well, in consolidating the efforts of the government towards better governance.
Also, the Youth Leader, James Adegboye pledged massive support of the youths for the aspirant, but said that they should be remembered when he finally assumes office of the governor in Kwara State.
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