2023 Election: Correspondents’ Chapel Organises Debate for Kwara Central Senatorial Aspirants
Written by Olarotimi Oshin on October 4, 2022
Joseph EMERIBE
The need for better representation at the national assembly was again re-echoed by leading contestants in the race for the seat of Kwara Central Senatorial District.
The leading contestants made the position today in a debate tagged- “The Debate” organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kwara State Council.
Mall. Farouq AKANBI of the Labour Party (LP) spoke on the need for better leadership across all levels of governance which to him is the main reason for Nigeria’s present woes.
“The issue of poverty which has been recognised over the years is one major problem confronting our constituency and it has to be looked into and treated with utmost importance” he added.
On his part, the representative of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)- Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said that his party is the best to correct the wrath the country is currently facing stressing on his accomplishment in the education and sports ministries respectively.
“But the most important thing is that how much money have even spending to maintained government that’s what I’m saying. So that conversation will have to happen because Nigeria is broke, anyway either we like it or not the conversation will have to happen…oh absolutely absolutely because it’s the only way we can survive when you’re spending ninety-nine percent of your revenue to service debt so what else is there?” Mallam Bolaji hinted.
More so, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) vying to represent Kwara Central Senatorial District- Dr.Ridwan Apaokagi in his speech noted that the country needs urgent attention to avert a collapse.
“The love I have for people made me to open a very cheap and effective clinic to mange my people in Ilorin emirate which I think I have done for not less than six to seven years before eventually not having time to run it again”
The contestants present at the Debate spoke convincingly in defence of the need for people to find them worthy of the elevated seat of a senator. However, the seat of the All Progressive Congress was reserved and vacant as Mall. Salihu Mustapha was said to be away for a function outside the state.
Meanwhile, the Chairman organizing committee of the debate- Bar. Abiodun Fagbemi (known as Odun Edward, on The Guardian Newspapers) said that the debate will be replicated across bounds to test political parties and their candidates to know their plans when they assume office after the 2023 general elections and applauded the correspondents Chapel under the leadership of Mr. Hakeem Garba for singlehandedly hosting the event.
In his words: “It’s chairman that should be given an accolade for the success recorded here today, it is one thing to have a dream it is another thing for you to have it achieved or realized as the case may be I actually had a dream of making kwara a robust center for an intellectual debate especially among our political candidates and when I sold it to him he bought the idea and he gave all the support.”
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