•OGUN East PDP Senatorial Candidate, Engr. ADEOLA SOSANWO
Engr. Adeola Sosanwo is one of Ogun PDP members loyal to Sen. Buruji Kashamu. He’s currently running for the OGUN East Senatorial seat as a member of the Buruji Kashamu faction of the PDP in Ogun State.
He was in Lagos a few weeks ago to receive an award. He was honoured with the Special Achievement Award In Politics for his contribution to grassroot politics in Ogun State at the 4th City People Political Awards.
Engr. Adeola spoke on his relationship with Senator Buruji Kashamu and what people don’t know about him. He also spoke at length about his chances at the forthcoming election in Ogun State.
This energetic, bold and intelligent politician spoke to City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE and ISAAC ABIMBADE. Below are excerpts of the interview.
Can you share with us how you saw the official presentation on Monday of the Senator Buruji Kashamu and Dr Reuben
The presentation was Okay. It’s a good plan and a strategy that we had in mind and we are going to execute it for the state.
Ogun State as a whole needs tactical mind and I believe with a man like Senator Buruji, I believe there will be a rapid development in Ogun State.
But about the same time the National PDP also handed over the flag to other PDP contestant, Hon. Ladi Adebutu?
There are two things here: There is a candidate that the constitution recognized and there’s another candidate that the leadership of the party recognized, so between the rule of law and the choice of the leaders, one must prevail. Aside that our camp as a backing of the law, we also have the umpire, the INEC on our side. So, we don’t have any doubt that the other set of people are merely wasting their time.
What is the chances of your party in the coming election in Ogun State?
Everything depends on God but with what we have seen, there is a crack in wall of opposition party and people are suffering and tired. They don’t have any other option than to vote for a party with experienced personalities and I believed PDP as a party have learnt from their mistakes. So we are looking at winning all in this forthcoming election.
How do you intend to fill the vacuum left by Senator Kashamu in the Senate?
I’m coming from the business world. Before now, people like me have been shying away from politics but we discovered that most of the policies that were made are not made by experienced people in the nation, so me coming on board we do a lot. We need networking, we need policies that can enhance the business development in our nation. We have so many business modules that we’ll implore. We need to bring all these things into managing our nation but we need to understand as well, that there two types of managers. We have the managers that manage problems and we have the managers that prevent problems. We want to prevent problems and that’s why I’m coming into the politics of the nation.
Can you share with us the relationship you had with the Senator Buruji before this time?
Well, I was never a fan of Senator Buruji but the first day I met him, I saw a different side of him. He’s just a gentleman.
He doesn’t believe in blood shedding and he has the grassroot in his heart. All these motivated me to get closer to him and to support him. He’s a successful business-man. We don’t want quacks in the politics of our nation again, we want successful people that would manage our resources well, that will appropriate our funds well and that will execute project that will be meaningful to the populace.
There was a time we heard a rumour that Senator Buruji was ready to relingquish his candidature if the other party candidate pays him off. How true is this assertion?
I think that is a lie. Before now, I was told that Senator Buruji will ask you to bring money before he gives you any position but as the case be, I have never given him a dime. I actually wanted to contest for House of Reps, he did not collect any money from me and by the grace of God I’m going for the Senate now, he didn’t ask me to bring a penny. So, I don’t know where people are getting information that the man always collect money before he gives you a post. I don’t think the man is like that.
People are saying that the two parties that suppose to lead the change in Ogun State, the PDP and APC are crisis ridden and that might just lead to some other candidates to have an edge. Do you see the scenario playing out that way”?
Well, I don’t see it like that. What I see in Ogun State is that, there are 2 parties. Its either APC or PDP. APC have their internal issues, PDP also have their own internal issue.
But looking at the way things are, the PDP has the better chance of winning. The internal issue PDP has is very small compare to what is happening in APC. So I have no doubt that PDP is going to win all through.
How do you also see the crisis between the PDP and APC at the national level?
In this forthcoming elections, people are not going to vote for parties; they are going to vote for personalities. So if you look at the personality of Atiku at the National level or the personality of Buruji in the state or my own personalty in my senatorial district, we have better chances. It’s personality that matters now. The party will always have issues but they will manage their issue/crisis.
Some people say that politics in Nigeria is a dirty game. How were you convinced to go into polities especially for someone like you who had a clean background and how easy was it for you to join politics?
I must sincerely confess to you that politics is indeed a dirty game. Very, very dirty!
But what makes politics dirty? It’s not politics itself, it’s the people. So what can we do to influence these people. There are people who feel politics is their normal routine job. It’ shouldn’t be, it is the way the old system has been run but by the time we start having people that have job, people that have businesses coming into politics I believe with time all these scenarios will change positively. But however, it has not been easy. If not for Senator Buruji these people would have cut off my head.
But you seems to have a different view of Senator Buruji. From the closeness you have had with him, what kind of a person is he?
Senator Buruji Kashamu, a pragmatic human being. He’s a person that is sensible to the cry of his people. He’s determined and he’s the type that has not believed in oppression. He doesn’t believe in bloodshed. He believes in the rule of law. He’s such a man that would fight and fight until he gets what he wants. Like what Abrahim Lincoln would always say “teach my son the secret of being tough with tough people, being gentle with gentle people but never you be rough with rough people. Senator Buruji is tough, he will never allow people to cheat his own people and that’s why you always find him fighting for the less privileged people. I know how much I have saved as a result of being in his camp. If I had gone to the other side, I know I would have to play with millions of naira before I would even got the ticket but I got this (ticket) free. He believes in me. He saw my credential and said, this is one of the people we want that will develop this nation.
There are also other people contesting for the same Senatorial position from the other political parties. How do you see your chances and what makes you the best choice?
Like I said, people are going to vote for personalities. Most of my contemporaries for this position are all politicians, full of lies.
Many of these people who are contesting with me are going there because of money but I’m going there to serve and I know by the grace of God I’m going to win. So I’m convinced by the grace of God I will win.
