The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Ondo Central, Ondo State, Hon. Sunday Falae, has insisted that the Southwest geo-political zone must complete its eight-year tenure as the country’s president.
Falae said the presidential race should be limited to either President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the APM.
Speaking in Akure with reporters, Falae said he was approached by many political parties but chose APM as a vehicle for his senatorial aspiration because he would not be in a good conscience to campaign against a Yoruba candidacy in the next year’s presidential election.
According to him, “In all sincerity, I didn’t join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) because I didn’t want to campaign against the president. I want us as Yorubas to finish eight years in office. This was before I joined APM. So, that was why I did not go to ADC because the Yoruba man must finish his eight years. Buhari finished his eight years. So, I thought to myself that the Yoruba man must finish his eight years.
“But now, we are here. I ended up in APM, which is Seyi Makinde’s party. Seyi Makinde was our presidential candidate. So, if he wins, he is still a Yoruba person. He will still finish the remaining four years, at least.”
According to him, Makinde’s dynamism and achievements in Oyo State demonstrate the kind of leadership Nigeria requires amid the many issues facing the country.
While emphasising that President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term, Falae maintained that Makinde stands out as an even stronger choice, citing what he described as his energy, antecedents, and performance record.
The APM candidate revealed that his preference for the Oyo State governor informed his decision to decline the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform, which he said would have required him to campaign against the president.
“He (Tinubu) deserves a second term. But if you give it to Governor Makinde, that is fine. Buhari did his eight years. He definitely was not the best. I campaigned for him, but I later regretted it. So he did his eight years; let us finish our eight years.
Does he deserve it? Yes. Does Makinde deserve it? Even better. That means he has the energy, and he has done well in Oyo State.”
Falae said he signified interest in the Senate because the zone has been underrepresented in the past, especially in the last four years. He said there is nothing to show for the outgoing tenure of the six local governments in the senatorial district.
His words: “I am interested because I am under-represented right now. Some of you know that I was in the APC from inception until April of this year, just to realise my own personal ambition to run for Senate. And the reason being that the person that we have there now is not representing us the way he should. I heard the cries; I have been to all six local governments, and everybody is complaining.”
Falae stressed that the incumbent senator has failed to provide effective representation, leaving the district without a visible voice in the National Assembly. He said his decision to contest was driven by widespread complaints encountered across all six local governments, where he said constituents feel abandoned by their current representative.
