Amid a seeming rift in Oyo APC, you set up the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF). Does this suggest a lack of confidence in your party?
This is not so in any way. ROCOF is not a rival to APC. And it can never be. Rather, it is an initiative that will complement what our party is doing in Oyo State. The vision transcends Oyo State, though it started there. It is a movement we are using to mobilise support for the reelection of President Tinubu in 2027 and as well for my own political aspiration. Its membership transcends one political party, religious group or ethnic nationality. It is a movement of like-minds that resolve to mobilise support for President Tinubu and me. The reason is not far-fetched. The task ahead is huge. We cannot leave it to our great party alone.
The performance of the APC during the last by-election was not impressive. Why did the APC lose the by-election?
First of all, let me educate you a little about the last by-election in the Ibadan North. Our party did not understand that they were running a by-election. As you all know, a by-election is not a conventional election. It is not like the general election. We were contesting as the opposition party. But my party did not understand that aspect. I think this is the first challenge we had in that by-election. Also, if you want to fight against the ruling party in a state like Oyo State and win such an election, the strategy you deploy should be carefully designed to achieve the desired purpose. It should not be a strategy that was hurriedly put together. I think we got it wrong in this area. Already, we have learnt our lessons. We have also gone to the drawing board in preparation for the general election. I believe our approach to the 2027 elections will be different.
Beyond the loss of the by-election, how are you and other party leaders building the Oyo APC to avoid the repeat of what happened during the by-election in the 2027 general election?
I am happy that everyone knows fundamental mistakes have been made. But how do we get out of where we are now? Like I said earlier, we have returned to the drawing board already. It has become our collective responsibility to work out how we can bring the Oyo APC back on track. We have realised our mistakes, particularly before and during the just concluded by-election. In that process, we managed to poll 8,312 votes compared to 18,404 scored by the PDP. This outcome does not really represent the standing of APC in Oyo State.
You have been mobilising support for President Tinubu through ROCOF and other initiatives, where exactly does your interest lie with respect to 2027? What is your next political aspiration?
I’m not overly ambitious. My primary interest is to see the Oyo APC back on track, first and foremost. That is what I am working for along with other leaders of our party. Once we resolve it and the party is positioned for a landslide in all political contests, then other things will fall in place automatically.
To be specific are you targetting the governorship position or a return to the National Assembly?
In life, if you want to be great, you must finance greatness. If you are not ready to finance it, there is no way you can be great. What I am doing currently is to position myself for higher responsibility. It is to present myself for my party and let them know that when there are challenges, it is not that we do not have what it takes to win the election. All they need to do is to look inward and search the right candidates for all available political offices, whether executive office or legislative seats. That is what I mean by when desirability is not available, availability will become desirable.
Considering the political influence of the minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, in the party, do you think your peace initiative can yield good outcomes?
This question is personal. I will not like to respond to it. I can only say that with the recent development after the last by-election, I think each one knows that some things need to be done much more professionally than the way it was previously handled. The honourable minister is my brother, and we are working together for the rebirth of Oyo State.
Ibadan, which falls to Oyo South, has consistently been producing governors in Oyo State except on one or two occasions. Why is Ibadan always against zoning the governorship office to Oyo Central or Oyo North?
Honestly, this is one of the questions people have been asking me in recent times. For me, that is grace. You cannot fight grace in life. It is not the responsibility of the Ibadan people to produce governors from Ibarapa or Oke Ogun. It is the responsibility of the elders of the state to come together; meet the people of Ibarapa, Ibadan and Okeogun as well as work out an understanding on how to rotate Office of the Governor among the zones. It is possible, but we have to be deliberate and decisive about such an arrangement. With a clear understanding among the elders of the state, we can rotate it zone by zone. Look at the Niger Delta, for instance. It is not the business of Nigeria for somebody to be located in Bayelsa or River State. If we are making noise in Ibadan that they are not sharing oil derivation with us, then you will understand where I’m coming from. That is about grace. All oil funds they are receiving on a regular basis was by way of grace. I have given more than enough advice on how Okeogun or Ibarapa can produce governors in Oyo State. If I were the Governor of Oyo State, I would be the one who could hand power over to somebody in Okeogun. If Governor Seyi Makinde has already planned to hand over somebody from Okeogun or Ibarapa, you do not need to change that narrative. It is his mental decision. If
I’m the one in charge, I will meet with all the notable Ibadan indigents. I will convene a summit where I will educate them on the need to allow other senatorial districts to produce governors. When I finish my tenure, I am going to hand over power to other parts of the states. You will bring them on board. You will negotiate it with them. You will discuss with them. You will now invite all the leaders from Okeogun. You arrive at a decision. The decision reached at the meeting will inform you of the way the incumbent administration will spread your projects. I think that is a possibility.
Do you think such an understanding can be brokered with the population of Ibadan?
The probability is very high if we bring all elders on boards and no attempt is made to reduce governance
to sectional politics. One of the ways this can be done is, other zones – Ibadan, Okeogun, Ogbomosho, and Ibarapa – will organise a summit and decide to present a candidate who will contest for the Office of the Governor. This is irrespective of the party to which the person may belong. Also, they will agree that there is no zone that will accept that their son should be deputy to any candidate. Once this happens, all the political parties will narrow their candidates to one zone. When the election comes, they can decide as a zone that irrespective of the number of votes that come from Ibadan, they will vote for the candidate that their zone has presented for the contest. If you look at the way our election is, Ibadan has about 40 percent of the total results. Okeogun has about 30% of the total votes. You must understand that they vote in blocks. This is due to the communal lifestyle where everyone relates peacefully. If you come to my federal constituency, there is a ward that 90% of the people there are non-indigenes. I have an idea of this due to my grassroots knowledge. If you are not on the ground, you cannot persuade the people to vote in this direction. But once they talk to themselves, they call it “Ibo Olojukan” (a uni-directional voting pattern). That is how other zones can produce governors in Oyo State.
You insinuated earlier that most votes APC got during the 2023 general election were through your effort and some members of the party. But we knew Governor Makinde helped President Bola Tinubu during the presidential election due to disagreement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. It also appears like the governor may not work for President Tinubu in 2027 because of his presidential aspiration. Is it one of the reasons for the outcome of the last by-election in Ibadan North?
Let me quickly make some clarification at this point. First, I’m a modest person by all standards. Second, I’m a minister in the temple of God. As Apostle Paul said in the Scripture, we are what we are by His grace. In the 2023 election, Governor Seyi Makinde might have worked for APC, just like you have said. I did not say that. In my federal constituency, however, he did not do one single work. If he did, let him come and prove it with hard facts. I will tell you clearly, and it was in this constituency that the governor invited all the traditional rulers three days before the election and asked to work against me and ensure that I did not win the poll. I stand to be quoted. He embarked on this mission then because he clearly understood my strength among my people.
Did he campaign for Vice President Atiku?
Do you mean Governor Makinde? That is not my business. I contested the federal legislative election on the platform of the APC. I did not have to disturb myself about who was campaigning for this or that candidate. At that time, my commitment was to ensure that all candidates of the APC, including me, won their elections in Oyo State.
Who was working was not my business. That is why we now set up ROCOF, a dynamic, non-political, non-religious, and non-ethnic forum that brings likeminds together for the rebirth of Oyo State and Nigeria. At ROCOF, we are not distracted in any way. With what we have embarked upon, we project to have at least 500,000 members by the end of this year. Irrespective of who you are or whichever party you belong, I will be in a position, by the grace of God, to present to the Oyo APC massive support we have consciously mobilised through ROCOF. If Governor Makinde could leave his comfort zone and come to my constituency head office in Ido Local Government to appeal to all traditional rulers to work against me during the 2023 general election, it means we have to be more deliberate and strategic in our approach to the 2027 general election. Honestly, I try to be as civil as I can. It was the grace of God that didn’t turn his request into a crisis for the ruling party at that time because it was a game that was already closed. The same thing happened in the chairmanship election, I returned home and embarked on an aggressive campaign to ensure that I still delivered the two local governments under my constituency for my party. But I was surprised that the chairman of my party in one of the councils was shot by the thugs of the PDP Peoples. He is still struggling to recover from the attack during the council poll. One would be surprised that the ruling party in the state could embark on such an act. But we are not surprised because they knew what I was doing to deliver and win the two local governments for my party. The move is to prove to anyone doubting my competence that I am still in charge in my federal constituency. Well, as you have said, he might have done something. His silence and body language did not suggest that he did what you said was done during the 2023 presidential election. We all need to understand that what the governor may have done is just a contribution to the success of the party. In my own federal constituency, however, it was the grace of God that we won the contest.
Most federal roads in the South are in deplorable conditions. What are you doing to ensure that FERMA rehabilitates these roads?
We have gone beyond that stage. Barely five months ago, there was a committee meeting that went viral. I was then concerned about the activities of the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi. Before I ran for election, I had traveled around the federation because of my profession. There is no part of the federation I have not traveled to. Before now, if you traveled from Shagamu to Benin, you would curse the federal government. From Benin to Asaba, you would do the same thing. From Onitsha to Enugu, you would think that we did not have any government in place. From Calabar to Uyo, you would ask whether we are in this country together. From Ibadan to Ife, you have to prepare for medication when you get to Ilesha. From Ibadan to Oyo, it was nothing to write home about. From Oyo to Ogbomoso, it was then the same story. These are the problems we inherited. That was why I was concerned about the state of federal roads. As the Chairman of FERMA, I needed a road map for these roads to be fixed. We did not cause it. It was not the problem that our government caused. But immediately we took over, my thinking was that we should be diplomatic. We place emphasis on the rehabilitation of new roads rather than new ones. If I want to start the reconstruction of a 100-kilometer road to a 200-kilometer road, it will require at least two years to complete it. It means the government will not be able to fix all federal roads within four years. If I am the Minister of Works, I understand the strategy to adopt, which will bring results immediately.
In this situation, how best can the president address the deplorable conditions of federal roads nationwide?
The best approach is to meet with the President and request for intervention funds to fix all deplorable federal roads across the federation. While we are rehabilitating existing federal roads, the implementation of legacy projects will still continue. We need a strategic roadmap that is very clear and objective because the people are concerned about the conditions of federal roads. It is not the problem of President Tinubu to go and fix those roads directly. He has appointed the works minister to handle that assignment, and I believe he has been responsive. Good enough, the works minister is a certified civil engineer. He has been solving the problem for the president. You do not need to start the reconstruction of all federal roads simultaneously. What you need to do is to start from Lagos and structure how people can get to Abuja seamlessly. After the journey, people will praise the president for efficient utilisation of taxpayers’ money. We do not reconstruct federal roads that are less busy at the expense of those that have high vehicular movements. For instance, 80% of commuters ply Lagos-Abuja and Lagos-Onitsha routes. Once we fix key federal roads with high vehicular movements, everyone will sing the praises of the president after six months. Then, we can move to other roads. For me, we must sustain the aggressive rehabilitation of existing roads to ensure that they are motorable for the masses. Don’t reconstruct them first because we cannot complete them in record times. But we should make them functional. This is my position, and it has nothing to do with me. This is basically what I have been advocating for for many months. I am passionate about it because the minister can approach President Tinubu and explain the need to make existing federal roads more functional. I know the president, being an unrepentant progressive, will promptly provide much-needed interventions. While the minister is focused on fixing existing roads, he should provide Nigerians daily or weekly briefings on the progress on federal road rehabilitation. If the works minister does this, there will not be any criticism against the legacy projects. That was my message during the meeting of the House Committee on FERMA.
Has anything changed since your engagement with the Minister of Works over the condition of federal roads?
Except one wants to be deceitful, there is a clear difference between what we had then and what we have now. It was good that I engaged him with every sense of humility and patriotism. I think the engagement made him realise that his strategy was not helping the government enough. I think he retraced his footprints, and there was a major departure from the way they were managing federal roads before then and now.
Can you spotlight the efforts being done by FERMA across the federation to assist commuters to reduce travel time?
I’m on top of the game. Things have really changed. I do not know where the Office of the Minister is. But as a concerned citizen who wants the best for Nigeria and who daily prays for the success of President Tinubu, I can tell you that work has improved on road maintenance and rehabilitation. Four weeks ago, China gave us so much equipment for the maintenance and rehabilitation of federal roads. The equipment will really assist the FERMA to fast-track road maintenance across the federation. If you look at the Shagamu-Ijebu-Ode axis now, major construction work is ongoing to ease vehicular movement. Also, rehabilitation is progressing on the Benin-Warri route. In fact, the reconstruction of Ife-Ibadan expressway has already been awarded, and its rehabilitation will take off very soon.
When will the rehabilitation start?
I may not be able to give a specific date for the commencement because I don’t control the budgets. Similarly, the federal government has awarded the Ibadan-Oyo, and Ogbomosho-Oyo routes. The Calabar-Uyo road is already being awarded. Work is equally ongoing on this corridor. I can tell you that there is a major departure from what we used to have.
Who really is Hon Oseni?
I am Hon. Aderemi Abbas Oseni from Ido Local Government Area in Oyo State. I attended IDC Primary School, Okunnawo. I also attended Akufo High School. Both schools are in Ido. If not for the former Governor of Oyo State and later Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Chief Bola Ige, I would not be where I am today. Chief Bola Ige gave me free education. He paid for our tuition fees. He also gave us all the necessary books at that time. After my secondary education, I went to Ibadan Polytechnic, where I earned my National Diploma in Civil Engineering. I later attended Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, where I earned my Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering. At the completion of my national service, I won the NYSC Government Award. Thereafter, I got automatic employment. I had the opportunity to be employed by another consulting company. I had to decide whether to be in the public sector or the private sector. At that time, my salary was ₦900 Naira per month compared to ₦300 that the public service offered me. I decided to join the private sector that offered me higher pay. I joined my supervisor to oversee the Abakaliki Ring Road in Ebonyi State. It was about 89 kilometres. After one year, I got another offer in Lagos, where I was offered ₦1,500. After my interview in Lagos, I got a 504 Peugeot as the Project Manager. I picked the job because I needed to return home. After about three years in Lagos, I left to complete my Master Degree in Structural Engineering at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. I came out with distinction. As a result, the institution persuaded me to take up my doctoral programme. But I declined it because I had a lot of engagements waiting for me in Nigeria. I left paid employment just about four years after my national youth service. I started Step Development Limited, my own brand and company that I nurtured for over 30 years until I ventured into politics. Step Development is one of the leading civil engineering companies in the country today. By God’s grace, I have been privileged to work with many firms due to the company’s growth. We have barely 500 workers, including the casual workers on our payrolls. To God’s glory, we have been executing notable projects across the country. We have handled construction works across all sectors – aviation, banking, oil, telecommunications e.t.c. Until key institutions were set up, we did not bid for contracts in the public sector. We were dealing purely with the private sector. But when sanity came into governance, we became excited about government jobs, especially after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission were established.
On the political front, I grew up in Ido, a recognised settlement of Ibadanland. I attended my primary and secondary schools in this historic town. It is about two kilometers away from Ibadan metropolis. Ibarapa is another ethnic community entirely. This is why I often said that I am the only lawmaker from the most complex constituency in the federation. The reason is pure and simple. I struggle with two different people who always want to have their way on every issue. I have to persuade my people in Ibarapa and its environs because they always claim that I am not from there. But I thank God for the wisdom to manage them. This has secured me outstandingly massive support I received during my election. In 2023, the number of votes that I got was the same as what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and our senatorial candidate scored. I doubt if this happened in any part of the federation. We set this record because we told our people that the only project before me, to ensure that President Tinubu, our senate candidate and I got maximum votes from my constituency. And that happened as planned. It did not happen by accident, but by design. It attests the depth of confidence and trust my people across the state repose in me. This record proved to anyone that this lawmaker is grounded. So, I took advantage of the success to ensure that our people key into the vision that I have for them.
