‘We go hold anybody wey tiff Edo money before or during my watch’

Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata na one of di lawyers wey decide to join di race for di leadership of Edo state dis year.

Contesting under di Labour Party (APC), Akpata wey don practice law for over three decades say e dey motivated becos of im desire to impact more pipo.

“If na only one pesin rich for family, all of us na poor we poor,” e tok as e answer question about why e decide to run for inside exclusive interview wit BBC Pidgin.

“God don bless me, I don be lawyer for 31 years. I don try as a lawyer, as a private citizen to impact di pipo around me, to try help dem but as a private individual, you get di one you fit do reach. Na goment get di power to affect di most number of pipo.”

Contesting under tok-tok from critics say e lack di political experience to win, dat one no shake di Labour Party candidate wey believe say di misconception about say na only pesin wey be “experienced politician” fit lead na im put Nigeria wia e dey wit di election of di wrong pipo into office.

“Wetin be goment, wetin be politics? Management of men and resources. You gada pipo togeda, organise dem, make sure say evritin dem suppose get as a group dem get am.

E say who dey run im business and office dey manage men and resources and dat na di basic experience wey pesin need.

“Wetin be di issues wen you dey manage resources? prioritization, resource allocation, how dem dey share di money, wetin we wan use am do? We go use am do education or we go use am fly pipo go London, na decision you go make,” e tok.

Akpata also believe say im experience as di president of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) give am an edge for dis election.

“I be di immediate past President of di Nigerian Bar Association. To win president of NBA, 126 branches at dat time around di entire kontri, all of dem, each lawyer, I convince dem. I run against two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, I beat dem, dust dem I give dem beta gap. To dey underestimated na di strongest weapon. dem dey look me common, dem dey use one kain eye look me,” e tok.

‘My goment go ignite revolution for di agricultural sector’

Moving on to im plans move di state forward if im win, agriculture dey top for im agenda.

“Agriculture na somtin we suppose don put eye since. For Edo state, you scratch ground small you don see somtin, you don start to harvest. For me, say we no dey fit feed oursefs for Edo state na disgrace, shame suppose dey catch dem.

“Agriculture na wia me and my team as a goment go put eye. We go ignite a revolution in di agricultural sector,” Akpata tok.

“Agriculture na one area wey fit provide jobs if you do am well, dat mean say work go dey. Rural-urban migration too. If agriculture dey boom for village, nobody go just dey rush go town. Goment go take agriculture as a major economic activity.”

E say security na also somtin wey im goment go make sure say dem look into.

“Goment under Labour Party go provide security. Farmers no dey fit go farm, so security dey critical. For dose days, forest rangers dey, we go make sure say we get security for our farm settlements becos we wan set up farm settlements for all of di 18 local goment areas.”

According to Corruption Perceptions Index ranking 2023, Nigeria move five places up to rank 145 out of 180 kontris wey dem assess.

Na one tin wey sabi pipo say dey join dey worry Nigeria and her development.

Akpata tok tough on di area of corruption.

“Di first tin na leadership by example. Oyinbo say na wetin be di tone at di top? I be Benin man, I no be thief, di tin I value di most na my name. Wen di pipo wey dey di system know say oga no be thief, I get zero tolerance for corruption,” e tok.

Akpata say im don succeed as a lawyer for 31 years, starting from nearly notin to wia im dey now.

“If you apply your mind, money wey you dey find you go get am. Na wen you dey find short cut problem dey come.

“I no go dey corrupt and di system go know say zero tolerance dey for corruption. Who dem catch you go use am do example. Who tiff Edo money under my watch, weda dem tiff am as I be govnor or before me reach dia, anybody wey tiff Edo money we go hold am,” di LP candidate tok.

‘I dey reasonably confident say Inec go conduct beta election’

Labour Party and dia presidential candidate for di 2023 election bin carry Inec go court at di end of dat process say dem no do credible election.

We ask Mr Akpata if e believe say dis election go dey free, fair and credible.

“Becos na off-cycle election, di kain focus we need Inec to pay on Edo state on dat day, one fit dey sure say e go dey.

“No be only resident electoral commissioner dey oversee election for state. So if to say na only im hand di mata dey maybe my heart for dey cut me for now. Dem go deploy national commissioners and directors from Abuja so different pipo dey inside di mata, so one man no fit just come kolobi di whole tin,” e tok.

On im immediate priorities if e win, for Akpata, dem be, “number one na electricity becos without light you really no fit achieve much. Number two na security, road infrastructure na number three for me. If pipo no dey move, economy no fit move. I dey shame, I dey shame, wen I see how road be for my state.”