I Don't Have Money For Politics But I Have Good Will - Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, has debunked rumour making the rounds that his nomination was at the behest of a prominent Lagos Politician as a ploy to turn Ilorin Emirate to a servitude.

He said those behind the plot were out to cause disaffection within the Emirate through which they could feather their nest.

Oloriegbe, a former Majority Leader of the Kwara State House of Assembly, made this known in Ilorin on Saturday at an interactive forum organised for political parties and candidates in the 2019 general elections by Ilorin Anchors, a non-political association.

The APC senatorial flag-bearer alleged that his  traducers were acting a script to smear his image as part of their campaign of calumny against him.

He said that Ilorin reputed for its urbanity among its contemporaries would never play second fiddle nor being subservient to any state or politician.

Oloriegbe told the gathering that his foray into politics and intent to represent Kwara Central in the National Assembly was borne out of the desire to serve the people and not for personal aggrandizement.

He said his resolve to contest was also stimulated by the current situation of the Ilorin Emirate, declaring that "what I see in Ilorin is a tower that has lost its values".

Oloriegbe added that it was disheartening seeing youth going into drugs, the practice, which he pointed out, was alien to the city's culture and tradition.

The APC candidate said the ancient town needed change in leadership if some of the challenges confronting it were to be addressed.

"I left my comfort zone for discomfort zone. This is a discomfort because I worked for an international organization and I was being paid like an expatriate.

"I don't have money for politics but what I have is goodwill, and goodwill is more than money. By contesting senatorial as candidate between 201, 2015 and now, it is based on that goodwill. It is the people that believe in me that have kept me going.

"The situation we find ourselves today,  is it acceptable? If it is not acceptable, we need to change it. If it is not good enough, we need to change it. It is not me, it is all of us. All indigenes of Ilorin Emirate, we need to work hand in hand to mobilise for that change.

"When I said mobilise, it is about us telling our people because several of our people are not privileged like us. Let us support the change that we are clamouring for.

"Our opponents are all out now on campaign of calumny. They said you want to take us to Lagos, and that an Ilorin will not be a servant of slavery to Lagos. I stand here to say that I'm not sponsored, I'm not nominated by any Lagosian in particular", Oloriegbe said.

In his remarks, the convener of the group,
Alhaji Ayuba Musa, identified lack of love as one of the factors hampering the growth and development of Ilorin, saying that the association was founded to unite and stimulate love among our people.

Ayuba clarified that the association was non partisan as invitation was extended to all candidates in the forthcoming polls and noted that the forum was organised to secure the commitment of the candidates on their manifestos.