Adekunle Razaq Aderibigbe is the Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) candidate vying for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ikorodu 1 Constituency in respect of the forthcoming 2023 election.
He is a Chartered Accountant, Business Advisor, and Compliance Professional.
In this exclusive interview with TOP MEDIA, he speaks about his plans for the good people of Ikorodu, and the chances of the NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, among other issues.
Excerpts below:
TM: What informed your decision to join the Lagos State House of Assembly seat race?
Aderibigbe: Thank you for this question. Before now, some people had always called me “Senator Aderibigbe”. I think they had chosen to address me as such considering how I have been able to address issues and handle communication matters while engaging in youth, community and social affairs. This led to the call to serve that I received. So, I did not just wake up one day to join the race, I was called based on my antecedents and competence.
TM: Why NNPP?
Aderibigbe: Of course, it would not have been the All Progressives Congress, APC (smile). It could not have been a party that only considers loyalty to certain individuals rather than compliance to [sic] policies, principles, and laws. While I joined the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), I had made inquiries to ensure the party was not just about loyalty to an individual or set of people but that virtues, principles were at the heart of leadership of the party. Besides, this is a party that was willing to feature candidates with credence and capability to hold public offices with passion to serve the people diligently.
TM: What are your plans for the people of Ikorodu?
Aderibigbe: It would have been more detailed to present my manifesto document but to summarize it, the agenda was aligned with my acronym, ARA. Hence, the first A is to accelerate infrastructure development in the state and more importantly in my constituency. The R in the middle is about remodeling and restructuring while the last A is about accountability and transparency. This will be the basis for my open-door policy where technology will be utilized to ensure the representation of the constituency in the House of Assembly is a product of what my people want and not just what I feel is needed by them.
TM: How would you rate the NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso’s chances at the 2023 poll?
Aderibigbe: He has got a very bright chance in the contest. First of all, he is the most experienced candidate and hence, the most competent for the office, having been a member of the two Bicameral legislative chambers, a Minister, a two-time Governor of Kano state, and an Envoy to Darfur (in Sudan). He is polling from the regional part of the country where the general election is mostly polled while he is positioned as the Madugu and the next influential leader in the northern part of the country after President Muhammadu Buhari.
Let’s not forget that he was the runner-up candidate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the APC primaries that produced the president in the 2015 general elections, above Atiku and others. That is an indication that he is next in line for the Aso-Rock job. He only needs fair polls from the southern part of the country with the north backing him, February 25, 2023, is the thing left for him to happen for him to be pronounced President-elect.
