Celebrated veteran journalist, Abdulrasheed Akogun has declared his intention to run for the Kwara State House of Assembly, representing Share/Oke-Ode constituency of Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State, under the banner of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
He made the announcement via a press release titled ‘TIME TO WALK THE DIVINE TALK’.
According to him, his experiences over the years have shaped him into a qualified candidate, “…the journey has come with hundreds of self-denials, deprivation, physical and emotional attacks, among others, I must with the benefit of hindsight thank my stars and mother-nature for pushing me into the path of selflessness and being one of the non-state actors serving as the needed societal surgeon.”
He also mentioned the problems that have bedevilled Kwara State since its creation, “Since the return of Democracy to the Country in 1999, some of the major issues militating against the attainment of Kwara’s developmental potentials and aspirations are corruption, malfeasance, abuse of office, and prebendalism, among others.
Kwara has been unfortunate with the set of leaders it has selected to pilot its affairs at various levels, most have placed selfish, group and sectional interests over and above general interest and that’s why more than 2 decades after the return of democracy, Kwara is still crawling, while its contemporaries, and even those created decades after it, have all started the sprint game.”
He goes on to say his ambition is a result of him realising the impact of the legislature on democratic governance, “Having realized that the brainbox of democratic governance is the legislative arm, whose actions and inactions have a direct impact on all other arms and tiers of government, I have decided to throw my hat into the ring to contest for a seat at the Kwara State House of Assembly, representing Share/Oke-Ode constituency of Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State, under the banner of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).”
He is expected to unveil his manifesto titled ‘IWE IGBA OTUN’ in the coming days.