One of the seven recently cleared governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Owolabi Babalola has urged the party’s delegates taking part in Saturday’s governorship primary election to vote according to their consciences.
Owolabi who spoke with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday at the party secretariat also added that, he is ready to pursue agenda that are poor friendly which will help the poor out of poverty.
“I am persuaded that our party leadership is well aware of that, and they are going to vote accordingly, not to the dictate of individuals but of course, according to that which they hold as sacrosanct values of the APC.
“I am more than convinced that I will get the support that is necessary to push further, an agenda that is pro-poor for the collective good of our citizens in Oyo state” he said.
The former Health commissioner also denied the rumour that he joined the governorship race very late which could affect his chance of getting the party’s ticket.
He said “Very quite incorrect, I think I was at the very forefront doing underground work, doing consultations across boards. This is more than two years. I have been meeting party leaders across the 33 local government areas and developing areas of Oyo state individually and collectively. And I believe that the greatest work is that, that is done in silence.
“I have continue to benefit from the great insight and wisdom of party leaders. And I’m sure that those are just rather cheap lies. That’s certainly not the fact.”
Speaking on what gives him an edge over the other aspirants in the party, he said:
“With all sense of humility, I bring to the table over a quarter of a century contemplations and rigorous intellectual involvement in development. Having also been at the critical juncture of policy formulation and integration, I think over time, I have been primed for this position”
Babalola also discussed some of his salients achievements while he was the state Commissioner for Health. He said that he went beyond achievements in health to development programmes and post conflict reconstruction.
“I was a critical part of national strategic framework for health and its implementation.
“And for the very first time in the history of Oyo state, we have the most advanced health care information management system that I evolved, arguably the best in sub saharan Africa, attested to by the multilateral instruments of global governance, such as UNICEF, WHO, and the likes.”
On how to get the best out of the health sector in the face of budgetary constraints and limited resources, Babalola posited:
“I believe that nowhere in the world do you have sufficient resources to funnel into health care delivery. So, there has to be out of the box thinking, in health financing”
On what he would do if he failed to clinch the governorship ticket, the aspirant said:
“All well and good, I am assured that we have all subscribed to the process that will dovetail into the emergence of a single candidate. And I am sure, whoever that candidate is, will be the very best among us that will fly the flag to ensure that the APC continues to remain the party to beat in Oyo state and in the Southwest of Nigeria.”
