A France-based businessman and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Harrison Olaniyi Alonge, has expressed confidence that Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s second term will usher in more progress for Ekiti State, and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win the January 2027 presidential election.
In an interview with select journalists at his Ikere-Ekiti country home on Saturday, Alonge, who is the Founder and CEO of Harrison Olaniyi Alonge Care Foundation, said the impressive performance of Oyebanji in his first term and the visible economic reforms of President Tinubu, including increase in foreign reserve, strengthening of Naira and massive infrastructural projects like Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, are enough reasons for Nigerians to vote for continuity.
Speaking on hardship in the country, the Ikere-Ekiti born politician said every success requires sacrifice, urging Nigerians to be patient, saying opposition by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi is normal in democracy but will not stop Tinubu’s victory.
He also called on all eligible Nigerians to collect their PVCs, saying “our vote is our power” to determine the future of the country for the next 4 years.
Excerpts .
Q: Introduce yourself, sir
I am Harrison Olaniyi Alonge, the Founder and CEO , Harrison Olaniyi Alonge Foundation. I’m from Ikere-Ekiti in the present Ekiti state. I’m a businessman based in France and also a politician and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress APC in the state
Q: There was an inauguration yesterday for governor Biodun Oyebanji for the second term in office.What would be your immediate reaction to that and what do you think the people to expect in the next four years of the government?
Ans: We voted for our governor. He was re-elected.You can see that our people are happy. So, we’re expecting a lot of the good work that he has been doing to continue. We are expecting more progress for the state and the governor has been performing.
So, the hopes are high. We’re confident that he’s going to live up to our expectations. He has been doing it in the past and he will continue to do it.So, we have hopes. That’s why we voted. That’s why he won.
Q: Also, in January, Nigerians will vote in the presidential election. Why do you think people should vote for President Tinubu’s again in view of what is happening in country today?
Ans: Firstly, the figures are there.
You can see the handwriting on the wall. The Nigerian economy is moving forward. Investors are having more confidence in the Nigerian economy, both domestic and foreign investors.
People are trooping in to invest in Nigeria. Once again, our country has become more attractive to foreign investment. These are very clear facts, of which I think it’s very glaring to each and every one of us.
Our foreign reserve is increasing. The naira is getting stronger. And these are indications of a well-managed economy and people are trooping in to invest in Nigeria. So, with the stability of the economy and the development of infrastructure, we’ve never had this type of world-class highway roads that the President is constructing everywhere, from Lagos to Calabar, from Badagry to Sokoto, and also others scattered all over the nation. So, the figures are there.
I believe our people should continue to vote for continuity. So, we should continue and support the President to continue the good works that he’s doing all over the nation.
Q: Some critics are arguing that President Bola Tinubu has failed Nigerians in view of the delibitating hardship in the country. What would your reaction be on this?
Ans: You see, for every success, there’s a sacrifice. I believe our people should be patient.
Let’s be patient. You know, it’s better at times in life. We all want to move forward.
The best way of moving forward is to run. When you cannot run, you walk. When you cannot walk, you crawl.
When you cannot crawl, get somebody to carry you. Just keep moving forward. Moving forward will necessitate sacrifices.
Sacrifices could come in so many ways. When we say sacrifices, it involves you, I, and all of us. So, I believe our people should apply patience.
Let’s be patient. We should believe that we are sacrificing today for a better tomorrow. So, everybody knows, we all know, but let’s just make it that we are sacrificing for a better tomorrow.
Q: What’s your projection about the 2027 election taking into consideration the stiff opposition from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi?
Ans: You see, opposition is an act of democracy. There will be opposition everywhere.In every nation. There are almost 200 countries in the world. If they have to elect again, some people will still bring out some points.Some people will still create opposition. It’s normal. Opposition should not deny what is on ground.There will always be opposition. Before now, even in the near future, there will still be opposition. But the important question is, the present government, are they doing well or not? I believe they are doing well.
The president is doing well. So, the issue of having opposition, as I said, I believe is democratic.We should expect opposition to surface.But then, that should not debar our people from continuing to vote for the continuity of the present government. Because this present government is performing.
Q: So, don’t see President Bola Tinubu losing the election?
Ans: I believe the president will win. I’m confident that the president will win. I see this administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu winning again in January 2027.
I can see it. Because of their successes from what they have done in almost four years now, I believe people will look at the success of the government to vote for continuity. So, I believe he will win.
Q: So, as people prepare for the election, those who have registered to vote. What will your word to them?
Ans: Yeah, that is a very important question. Our vote is our power anywhere in the world. I’ve always supported people voting. People will raise one point or the other, this and that.
Election is the only way whereby we can determine our future. Either educated or uneducated, young, old, men, women, children. As long as we are qualified to vote, let’s all troop out in masses, get the PVC and go and vote. And we encourage our people from all over the 36 States, from all the local governments across the nation, to go out and collect their PVC and vote. Our vote remains our power.
It’s the only power that we have to determine our future and our nearest future. Because anything we are doing now is not only for now, it’s a decision that we are making that will stand for the next 4, 8, 12 years to come. Some policies may not be easily changed in four years. So our vote is our power.
If we need to make contributions, we are ready to do it to encourage our people to come out massively, take their PVCs and vote. Previously, I have been supporting the party right from the grassroots.
From my unit, my polling unit, to our ward, to our local government, to the state. And I have been contributing to all the available opportunities that comes my way. So, I am a staunch member of the party, I believe in the party, I believe in the government from the state to the federal.
I have contributed in the past, I am contributing in the present, and I wish to contribute in the future. I am a loyalist of the party and I have contributed in so many ways. And I am still ready to do more for the party and for the present government.
