Speech Delivered By Kwara APC Chairman At Occasion Of The Governorship Aspirant Parley

Being the text of address presented by Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa on the occasion of the governorship aspirant parley organised by All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State chapter

Protocol

Let me welcome our party leaders, distinguished party members, our gubernatorial aspirants and gentlemen of the press to this epochal event.

With this event, we are opening a new page in the history of our dear state, and I am indeed delighted to be part of this moment.

We have devised this engagement with our gubernatorial aspirants to give us a peep into their programs for the good people of Kwara State, as well as to showcase the aspirants to all stakeholders and the country at large.

You will agree with me that we are today laying a foundation that will become a benchmark in assessing the future chief executives of Kwara State.

As you are aware, this is a clear departure from the "Mo fun e" hegemonic system that has only succeeded in producing governors that are not only disconnected from the people but exhibit unbridled loyalty to a single man because of how they got to office.

Without equivocation, the  governor of a state belongs to all. Therefore, it is important to carry along, from the start, the people whose mandate the governor carries

That is why we are here: to further deepen our democratic process through engagement, participation and feedback from our respected audience.

Kwara State might not have been so blessed in the choice of its chief executives in the past, but we are determined to change the situation for the better now. Everything about governance in Kwara is due for a total overhauling, and this we will do for the betterment of the good people of our dear state.

After all, it is said that you cannot continue to doing things the same way and expect a different result. What we are doing today is a total departure from what obtains in the oligarchy system that we are trying to stamp out. We are presenting to you our array of eminent Kwarans, who are seeking to lead us through the ballot by February 2019, for interaction

To all our gubernatorial aspirants, this forum affords you the unique opportunity to speak to a number of issues affecting our development as a people and to come up with acceptable and workable plan of action. Since the people are the ultimate in a participatory democracy like ours, we feel it is right for you to speak to them directly.

Our party leaders, distinguished party members, ladies and gentlemen, we are - through the forum - reassuring you of our determination as a party to produce a governor that will be visible, accessible and loyal to the people.

We are gradually closing the page of an era that has deliberately held the state back, an era in which the loyalty of public office holders is to one man, rather than to the people, an era in which one man, just one man, must be served. The result of such an undemocratic system is lack of infrastructure, depreciation in living standards, lack of respect of human lives and high handedness in the corridor of power.

Never again will our state be held down by the whims and caprices of one man. The old order, which can only nurture mediocres and bring unpatriotic elements to the corridors of power, must give way to a genuinely democratic system.

The time to develop our state is now, and the time to help our governorship hopefuls in forming a good blueprint for the state is now.

I humbly request for your optimum participation in this discourse that is aimed at changing the course of governance in our dear state. I have no doubt that, come February 2019, and with the votes of the people, our party will occupy the government house in our dear state

I thank you all for your kind attention