Dr Oshin Olanrewaju, Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikorodu Local Government, is a grassroots politician who is into Estate Management.
He and his executives came into office in January 2022 to steer the affairs of PDP after serious infighting.
In an interview with Kunle Adelabu, Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, he spoke on his agenda which is to reunite members of the party and reposition it to win the coming general elections in Ikorodu.
Dr Oshin also spoke about the performances of the APC Council Chairmen and that of the State Government in Ikorodu Division among others. Excerpt:
THE IMPACT: Congratulations on your emergence as the new Chairman of the PDP. We are aware that it has been a turbulent period for your party for some time now, and that it was from this trouble that you and your excos recently emerged to steer the ship of the opposition party, what are your agenda for the party?
Dr Oshin: You know that we always disagree in politics and in life generally, we fight to be successful. There is usually enmity and other things, but to me, it was a struggle. If there is no challenge, there will be no victory. After everything, we are all trying to come together and our primary agenda is to reunite the party and make sure that we all work together as a one – big – family to deliver Ikorodu for PDP and win the general elections.
THE IMPACT: You said that your agenda is to win the next general elections and deliver lkorodu for PDP, knowing fully well where your party is coming from with many of your members already defected to the ruling APC, do you think that your part still have the capacity to dislodge APC and how do you intend to do that?
Dr Oshin: Thank you so much. We still have a lot of strength in the PDP. Many may be saying that we have not been in power in the past 20 to 22 years, but I can tell you, PDP still has more members than the party in power as at today. We have the records. They may say that they have 41million members but we have more than them. With what we have at hand now, Ikorodu PDP is more than how people are looking at it. What people in the other (ruling) party is trying to do is all propaganda by cooking unreal stories to confuse the people.
Truly, we have a crisis in our party, but we know how to manage the situation. In politics, as I have said before, there will always be times that we disagree and also agree for the progress of the party and our nation.
THE IMPACT: We are in electioneering period, is your party participating in the next general elections?
Dr Oshin: (Laughter) Surely, we have nothing to do other than to participate. We strongly believe that it is now that we can dislodge the party in power. We are firm and ready to dislodge the party. Our party’s leaders and members are working tirelessly to defeat the party incharge. There have been a lot of complaints by people because there is no development in town. You can see that all our roads are bad because we have a bad government. Nigerians need better and good living conditions. They cannot even offer the masses light and at same time, we are experiencing high prices of fuel and diesel. Prices are too high for things that commoners need most. How do you expect our people to live fine and enjoy their lives? We have done it before and if you check the records, you will see that the PDP government is still the best. You can look at it from the prices of foods that were low compared to the high prices that this current government is offering us.
THE IMPACT: As the leader of the opposition party in Ikorodu, how will you rate the performances of the six local government chairmen in Ikorodu Division?
Dr Oshin: We are doing a lot to call their attention and make complaints, so that they can upgrade and change ways that they manage the local governments, but till now, they see the local government as their private companies. All that they have done is just showing that they are the ones in – charge and nobody can query them. They are like, we are in total control because we are also at the state and national levels and there is nothing anybody can do. In fact, they are underperforming. I will rate them 15% over 100 if I am to rate them.
THE IMPACT: You said that they have not been performing, if you are to make suggestion to them, which area(s) will call their attention to?
Dr Oshin: First thing that a good government must ensure that is in place is a good road network for the citizenry. With that, people can easily access other locations from wherever they are. Once the roads are good, people will be happy to transport goods and move freely and this will consequently bring progress to the community.
THE IMPACT: How will you rate the performance of the state government in Ikorodu and the entire state generally?
Dr Oshin: (Again laughter) Well, Lagos State Government will always come with some cooked stories that they are performing but as of today, I do not see anything that they have touched in Ikorodu. Ikorodu has been the same in the last few years with no development that they have brought to us and with this, I don’t think that they deserve any accolade from us, because they are not improving the lives of the people in Ikorodu.
THE IMPACT: But the government is constructing Isawo and Igbogbo roads, as well as rice factory in Imota among other projects?.
Dr Oshin: (Laughter). That is what they will say. For the past years, houses were demolished both in Igbogbo and other areas and till now, some people are yet to collect their compensation. My father’s house is one of the affected houses in Igbogbo and once they come online, they will say that they have paid everybody. A lot of people have not been paid. They are only sharing the compensation among their party members. Till today, nothing is happening on the road that they said that they are constructing that led to the demolition of my father’s and other houses since about three years ago, . The road is still the same. You can see that these people are just parading themselves and showing that they are in – charge, whereas, they are not performing. They are not active at all.
THE IMPACT: Lastly sir, what is your message to the people of Ikorodu?
Dr Oshin: We, the Ikorodus, know what we want. The people of lkorodu have always been PDP lovers from time to time, but the problem is that we don’t secure our votes in the past. Right now, everyone is trying to shine their eyes and secure their votes. We hope for a better Ikorodu.
THE IMPACT: Thank you sir.
Dr Oshin: You are welcome
