The southwest Development Stakeholders Forum has featured two presidential candidates in its presidential Parley series for dialogue and critique of their intended programmes as regards the southwest region
The two candidates, Alhaji Kola Abiola of the People’s Redemption party, PRP and Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress, AAC took turn to sell themselves and their programmes to the participants drawn from various groups in the southwest.
The PRP presidential candidate and Son of the late business Mogul Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaji Kola Abiola explained that if elected, his administration would practice true federalism with the local government autonomy fully granted to enhance meaningful development at the grassroots.
Alhaji Abiola who noted that cocoa which was the mainstay of the southwest economy would be revamped, stated that his government would reintroduce community based policing with the Nigeria police force well funded, equiped and motivated.
Alhaji Abiola also promised provision of allowances for teachers in training, streamline of indiscriminate taxes for women and prioritising of technical and vocational training for the unemployed.
On his part, Omoyele Sowore of the AAC, identified the challenges of Nigeria as insecurity, lack electricity and hunger and promised to tackle them holistically to make home coming attractive to Nigerians in diaspora.
He promised to expand the scope of operation of Amoteku in the southwest and cut down the excesses of other security outfits in the nation to promote effective intelligence gathering and sharing.
In a remark, Director General, DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, who spoke in yoruba charged the presidential candidates to ensure that their administration if elected, ensure true federalism to enable rapid development of all regions.
Dignatories who spoke at the parley including, Representative of Ondo State government, Dr. Jibayo Adeyeye, and the Chairman of the forum and Publisher Alaroye weekly magazine,Mr. Alao Adedayo advised electorates in the southwestern states not to sell their votes in the 2023 elections so as to elect credible leaders
Presidential candidates from All Progressives Congress,APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo, New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party LP, Petet Obi are also scheduled to feature on the parley this week.
