2026: We Will Support Najeem Salaam To Deliver On His Manifesto Promises – Loye
The Osun East Senatorial Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Babatunde Loye, tells YUSUF OKETOLA about his programmes for his constituency, political journey and why Osun people should vote Dr. Najeem Salaam on August 15 as the Governor of the state.
Can we meet you, sir?
My name is Babatunde Olaniyi Loye. The Balogun of Ila-Orangun. I was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, but from Ilesa, Osun State. My local government is Atakumosa East Local Government. I have an insurance firm and also the Director of Maineflow Microfinance Bank in Nigeria. I have been doing insurance for over two decades.
Why are you contesting for the Osun East Senatorial seat and what’s your vision?
My vision is to have a very industrialized constituency where there would be security of properties and where a common man would have normal basic amenities. The shelter, food and clothing. We know what’s happening in Nigeria now, insecurity, people are suffering, especially the common man and the vision is to make sure that my people are protected and then not only that, they enjoy life. God didn’t create us to suffer. Once we have food in our stomach, the rest is simple. Poverty alleviation is one of our programs.
What is the current situation of development in Osun East and how do you plan to improve the lives of your constituents?
Looking at Osun East because I have been actually going round since 2021. We have eleven local governments including the Area Office. The development there is really not improving. One thing I have noticed is that we need to start manufacturing our own products. We don’t have manufacturing companies and we have land, farmers, all their produce, we should start making things out of it. We are not producing anything. I remember in the days of our founding fathers such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, cocoa money was used to build monumental projects.
We don’t have it anymore. What I’m planning for my own constituency to encourage business owners to come in and invest in my constituency and this can be done because a lot of people are just looking for land and they are going to bring in their money. I have a lot of colleagues because I have been all over the world. I have court friends that are ready to come and invest in the state. I have medical doctors that are ready to come and put hospitals in my constituency and I’m really working on that.
The level of development is going to improve because when we have them invest in the land, things will change. There was a gentleman we talked about how he could actually bring in some of his colleagues when it comes to mining because we should look at what is happening in Osun especially my constituency. We have a lot of areas where we can start mining difficult things and I have called friends that are going to do that.
How will you handle constituency projects and do you believe in stomach infrastructure?
When you say project, we have a lot of different projects. Let us look at some of my duties I will be doing as a senator. We will be passing bills in the Senate as we make laws. When it comes to the constituency, we look for different things that we can do for our people. We talk about education, health, agriculture and by making sure our people enjoy basic amenities. Looking at my constituency, I will try and make sure everything the government said they would do like roads, my job is to monitor it by making sure it comes to my constituency. Part of my duty is to make sure there is no corruption.
I will follow it through to make sure my constituency enjoys that. Some of the developments, the school I mentioned, roads, more schools to be built so those children that are unable to go to school would be able to do so. If you look at our governorship candidate, Dr. Najeem Salaam (Iwaloye), some of the things he had put together in his manifesto is to have free education. This is one of the things I would follow through to make sure it happens. He has said he would do it and we must support him to do it.
Also, he mentioned that the people of Osun will enjoy free health services. They will go to hospitals without paying. He also mentioned that anybody above the age of 70 will benefit from the free health care service. We will support him in achieving these. Some of the things that our father and leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola did for students during his administration were that they will be in school and enjoy a free meal, we will bring it back.
Those are the kind of things I will follow through. He even mentioned about the People Living With Disabilities that they will get stipends every month. Our people will enjoy and feel that they have a senator that has gone round and knows how things are being done.
Is this your first time in politics and why the choice of ADC as your choice of political party?
This is not my first time in politics. I was the Labour Party governorship candidate in 2018 in Osun. Though, I didn’t win. But I started my politics in 1999. And why ADC?. When you look at the ideology of the party which aligns with my own ideology and the kind of people in ADC there is no way you wouldn’t want to join them. They call them Omoluabi. They’re not there to fight or to cause violence. They’re there to take care of the common man. That is enough for me. They believe that the common man shouldn’t suffer and enjoy basic amenities.
What’s your advice for the people of Osun?
My advice for the people of Osun is when they come out on August 15 to vote, they should vote right and not fight. They should not sell their vote by voting for the right person and I believe that my candidate, Dr. Najeem Salaam Iwaloye is the right candidate and I can tell you that he is well read, he is doctor and a very peaceful and calm person and he knows what he is doing. All what he has put together in his manifesto, I know he will do them because he is a trusted person and he had done it before when he was a speaker. Everybody has been singing praises of him. I think Osun people need someone like that to take them to the promised land and I know we will get there.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
