Having been chosen as the Councilorshillp Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 3 in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of Ogun for the forthcoming local government election, Hon. Bukola Balogun is ready to serve the people diligently.
In this interview with Alhaji Malik Ibitoye, the delectable woman speaks on her emergence and why the APC is the party to beat in the election.
Can you tell us your name and a bit about your background?
My name is Bukola Monsurat Balogun and I am married to Omosonwa Family from Ondo State. But I am from Ota in Ogun State, and I live in Ota. I went to Ade Ojo Nursery and Primary School, and I proceeded to AUD Comprehensive College, where I did my JSS 1 to 2. I later went to Folbim High School, Iyana Orile Agege, Lagos to do my JSS 3 to SS 3 and I did my West African Senior Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (WASSCE) there. I proceeded to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, where I studied accounting and I did my National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) there.
What year did you graduate from MAPOLY?
I finished my HND there in 2012. I served in Benin, Edo State in 2013/2014.
Where were you born?
I was born in Ota, Ogun State to Balogun Family of Ijana Quarters.
When did you join politics and how has it been?
I started politics during my HND days. Actually, I was born into politics, my family is full of politicians and I have been doing it since my HND days like I said.
You have been chosen as the Councillorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ward 3, Ota, how did you get the ticket?
It wasn’t my power glory goes to the Almighty Allah because it wasn’t an easy task. Many of us came out as aspirants for the position, but my appreciation goes to the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Eng. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele. If not for her I wouldn’t have been chosen. She stood her ground that she wanted to empower a woman. She said that she wanted to women move forward in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government. It wasn’t that they just chose me. I went through a lot of stress. It wasn’t easy during the primaries. Glory be to God, I was chosen and they feel I am capable. They voted for me not that I was selected. We had 30 stakeholders or delegates. I had 13 votes, the second person had five votes, while some others had four each and a lady had two votes.
Do you think that your party, the APC will win this local government election, if yes, why?
We will win the election because we are the party leading and ruling in the state. We have done a lot of things in Ogun State, most especially in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government. We have made people smile. Our Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun is doing a lot of things. He touched all aspects of life and with that, we will win.
If you eventually win as a councillor and you are sworn-in, what are your agenda for the women in your ward?
I will try my possible best to empower the women because I am part of them. I have mixed with them, I know what they want. I know their problems. I know what they are crying for and I will try to look into them. I will empower the widows, market women and party women because they are really trying for us. Those women will leave their husbands and houses, come to ward meetings and go to campaigns with us without anything. I am going to look into that and do my best for them.
What of the men, are you going to dump them?
Not at all. We will work with them and do some things for them too.
Engineer Sheriff Musa has been declared as the candidate of the party for the Chairmanship election in Ado-Odo/Ota LG, what kind of person is he and do you think you would be able to work amicably with him?
Of course, I will work with him. He is a nice person. I have known him for a very long time. He is a very good man, a gentle man and he is humble. He is capable of what they gave him. He will do it and make us proud.
What do you want to tell the party members concerning the coming election?
They should come out and work with us and vote massively for us. They shouldn’t say that the party should have elected someone else. Our great party has done what they think is good for us. They chose the right person for us as the Chairmanship Candidate. We may be thinking he is not the right person, but on the long run, we will see that our party knows what they are doing. We will give kudos to them that they chose who is right for us. I am advising them to please come out and vote for us because we are the right party and we will do better than we have been doing before.
Let’s talk about the Deputy Governor, what do you want to say to her?
I want to thank her specially, she is a mother. She is everything to me. All I know is that she is a very good mother.
Culled from June 2021 Edition of SAM 20 News Bulletin
