By Emmanuel Mogbede
A House of Representatives aspirant in Ondo State, Ms Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi, has pledged to harness the state’s bitumen resources to boost its economy, if elected.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi made the pledge while speaking with newsmen after submitting her expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the aspirant, a former Executive Secretary of West Africa Economic Summit Secretariat, is seeking the APC ticket for Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.
NAN also reports that she was accompanied by a coalition of political stakeholders, grassroots mobilisers and influential party figures from Ondo State, including women leaders from across the state and her constituency.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi, while highlighting the economic potential of the constituency, described the Ore industrial corridor, the vast bitumen deposits in Odigbo and the cocoa-rich belt of Ile-Oluji as critical assets that had remained under-utilised.
“The Ore corridor moves more daily traffic than any single Nigerian airport while Odigbo sits atop one of the world’s largest bitumen deposits.
“Ile-Oluji anchors a cocoa belt that contributes to Ondo State’s 25 per cent share of national cocoa output, a crop that earned Nigeria over N3.6 trillion in a single year. The resources exist.
“The representation has not matched them. I have spent years working at the intersection of policy, investment and governance. What matters is ensuring that this experience translates into real outcomes for our people,” she said.
This, she said, was especially across Ile-Oluji, Oke-Igbo and Odigbo, with representation that would be present, responsive and deliver.
The aspirant said that her development plan was anchored on unlocking these assets to drive industrialisation, job creation and sustainable growth.
She said that she had spent years working at the intersection of policy, investment and governance, adding that what mattered was ensuring that these experiences were translated into real outcomes for the people.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi, also a former Senior Special Adviser to the immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said that she had facilitated over 150 million dollar investment pipelines and coordinated regional engagements involving heads of state.
She said that her ambition was driven by results rather than promises, adding that her decision to contest was rooted in a desire to give voice to under-represented groups, particularly women and youths.
“I’m going to ensure that my constituency benefits meaningfully from democratic governance,” she pledged.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi emphasised that her grassroots interventions through the Read2Succeed Africa initiative, alongside her engagement with party structures and community stakeholders, demonstrated a balance between high-level experience and local impact.
According to her, elections offer citizens a clear choice between continuity and change, adding that power ultimately rests with the people.
“Every election cycle presents an opportunity for the people to decide whether they are satisfied with the status quo or ready for something new.
“Democracy is about the people, and they will make that decision. Our responsibility is to show that women and young people can step forward, lead and deliver on the mandates given to them,” she said.
The aspirant, however, expressed concern over the low participation and electoral success of women in Nigerian politics, describing it as a gap that must be urgently addressed.
“There is clearly a shortage of women in key elective positions, including the National Assembly. That must change.
“Representation should reflect all segments of the society, and when given the opportunity, women have the capacity to represent effectively and inclusively,” she stated.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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