Prof. Muritala Awodun is an aspirant for Kwara South Senatorial District seat in the 2027 elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). In this interview with select journalists, he addresses contemporary issues in Kwara State, and Nigeria. SUCCESS NWOGU reports

How would you assess governance in Kwara State since after the Otoge struggle and the defeat of the Saraki political dynasty? The Saraki dynasty was not defeated but coerced out of power by the powers that be, using all the instrumentalities of the federal might, negative propaganda (lies) and other political manifestations. Kwara South, where I come from, has experienced deafening neglect, with a scaring absence of governance, just like Kwara North.

Insecurity has eaten deep into these areas of the state, while the government couldn’t proactively address it. As people get killed and kidnapped almost on a daily basis, the government’s response has been zero in most cases, and late in coming where the noise and cries were much.

What is worst about the capital projects, is the fact that the costs are mostly ridiculously extravagant, and the process of award, lacking transparency. Most of these projects are means of capital flight with less than 10 per cent of local patronage that could lead to any meaningful multiplier effect of those huge capital expenditures, on the economy of the state, year in year out.

The governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, is out of the state for more days in a week than what he spends in the state. This wouldn’t have been a problem if the members of his cabinet were, at least, empowered to function effectively in his absence. Governance in Kwara State is non-inclusive, as it is in the pocket of one man, and it is largely not effective because there is a limit to the knowledge, experience and capacity of one man.

This particular approach to governance is purely undemocratic, and was the beginning of the fall-out among the ranks of the Otoge family, to the extent that beyond complaining within the ranks, they started making their displeasures known publicly, one by one over the years.

Aside from your allegation of manipulation, how come the Otoge movement sent the PDP packing in 2019?

The Otoge movement was based on political opportunism, propaganda and character assassination targeted at taking power away at all cost from Dr. Bukola Saraki who had gone to dine and wine with the All Progressives Congress (APC) without a enough long spoon, and when they were done using him to achieve their purpose, they descended on destroying him.

But you know, he who the Lord is with cannot be destroyed. In Kwara, they ended up destroying themselves as you can see. The greatest beneficiary of the entire Otoge movement ended up dealing with all the actors including the electorate.

Today, there is no one major actor of the movement who has not fallen out with the major beneficiary. Like the Yorubas say, ‘the end of the treacherous is never a good end, no matter how good the beginning. Just wait for it, because it is the principle of God that never fails.’

Everybody involved in that movement is full of regrets, whether they admit it or not. Yes, their purpose was achieved because God allowed it to teach all political participants a lesson and it is only those who have learnt from it that will advance by retracting and retracing their steps.

Why are you aspiring for the Senate in 2027?

I am aspiring to contest in the forthcoming election to represent the people of Kwara South Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP. To answer the question, why: I will provide two perspectives. The first is because we lack impactful representation in Kwara South at present and our people are clamouring for better representation.

The Otoge movement was based on political opportunism, propaganda and character assassination targeted at taking power away at all cost from Dr. Bukola Saraki

Also, in line with the underlying zoning arrangement, the Ibolo axis of Offa and Oyun local government areas have spent a total of 12 years at the Senate, so it is the turn of the Igbominas, and I am an Igbomina man from both Irepodun and Isin local government areas of Kwara State. What we have presently is tantamount to absentee leadership with no positive impact. Our people are suffering in silence with abject poverty and insecurity.

There is so much distance between the people and the representatives, with the absence of empathy towards the people and their predicaments. The people have been exploited and neglected to wallow in their pains, poverty and penury with no hope in sight. There is a complete disconnect between those representing the people as they have become the lord and master to the people that they are supposed to be representing.

In the last three months since June 1, 2025 that I publicly made my intention known, I have crisscrossed the entire 83 wards and seven local government areas that make up Kwara South Senatorial District and what I hear and see loud and clear is that the people are tired of these absentee representatives of Kwara South. The second perspective has to do with the fact that I am contesting under the platform of PDP and to me that is intentional.

In Kwara State, the PDP as a party has been there for the people in and out of power. While in power, the PDP made significant impact on the lives of the people of Kwara State with landmark achievements to point at.

I was a part of the actualization of the dreams of making Kwara State University a reality. That University is not only standing tall today as a success story but blazing the trail in so many aspects.

The vision for that green, entrepreneurial university for community development was birthed by no other party but the PDP under the able leadership of Saraki as governor of Kwara State then. It is unarguably one of the best state universities in Nigeria today. I was not only involved as a lecturer in the university from inception in 2009, but was the founding director of the first Centre for Entrepreneurship in any public university in Nigeria at KWASU in 2009.

I also doubled as the Head of Department of Business and Entrepreneurship (2009-2013) as we distinctively created Business and Entrepreneurship programmes as different from the traditional Business Administration, we all know. We were the bedrock of creativity and innovation in university education in Nigeria.

I also served as the founding Dean of the School of Business and Governance, at KWASU, creating various postgraduate programs in business, entrepreneurship, accounting, finance and management (2013-2015). After this, I was appointed by the state government to assist in reforming the revenue service of the state by bringing to reality the dream of the government of Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed to change the People, Process and Technology (PPT) of revenue administration in the state.

We thus created the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) and within four years, standardized the revenue administration dynamics of the state moving the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N7.2 billion in 2015 to N30 billion in 2019 (without any increase in taxes) when I completed my tenure.

This was another milestone by the PDP government. We didn’t just set out to drive revenue, but we did it with the people at heart, either as employees or as taxpayers, we connected well with the people and served their interests. Our community impact programmes then, as a revenue service, touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of the people of Kwara State, from the market men and women, to the artisans, farmers, civil servants and even the traditional rulers. We were people-centric in our approach and this resonated well with the people.

What more are your experiences that make you believe that you will be a better representative?

I am a business economist, entrepreneurship education, revenue and institutional management consultant; a professor of Business and Entrepreneurship with 36 years’ work experience that cuts across private and public sectors.

I have been privileged to serve in public service, first at the Lagos State University between 1999 and 2009, thereafter, at the Kwara State University between 2009 and 2019. I was on leave of absence for four years to serve the Kwara State government in the capacity of Executive Chairman of KWIRS from October 2015 to September 2019.

Those 20 years of working in public institutions, was preceded by almost 10 years of private sector experience in banking at Guaranty Trust Bank PLC (GTB), other financial institutions and private business (1990-1999), and another six years of private sector consultancy services so far (from 2019 to date).

How come you have affiliations in two Kwara LGAs?

My paternal grandfather is from Ile Obagun, Alla in Isin Local Government Area, while my paternal grandmother is from Oke Aro compound, Okeya-IPO in Irepodun Local Government Area. My dad was born in Okeya-IPO and was raised by his mother there because his father died,while he was pretty young.

He became a prominent community leader in Okeya-IPO and was buried there according to his last wish. However, my mum is from Oke Omu compound, in OkeyaIPO as well.

Beyond that I am a registered voter in Ajashe Ward 1 under which is OkeyaIPO, so that explains it. You know that in politics everything matters. It is better you tell your stories yourself rather than allow any vacuum that will make people tell your stories for you.

Things that ordinary should not matter are made a big deal in politics for politicking sake. Rather than focusing on capacity, competence and character, we prioritize ethnicity, religion and loyalty over and above the three Cs, and that’s why what we get most times are mediocre performers as leaders.

I am an Igbomina man from both sides of my birth, so, if the clamour for the turn of Igbominas to aspire for Kwara South senatorial seat is anything to reckon with, then, I proudly present myself as only the best is good for Kwara South.

What more reasons informed you to choose the PDP instead of the ruling APC?

I had the privilege of serving Kwara State for 10 years remarkably because of the institutions created by the PDP governments then, hence my decision to aspire for the Senate under the PDP, particularly at this critical moment.

What are you bringing to the table as you aspire to serve the people of Kwara South?

I bring my wealth of experience of 36 years that cuts across both private and public sectors. I bring my community and entrepreneurial orientation which have been tested and can be trusted.

I bring my desire for purposeful leadership with presence that will proffer a collective vision of community development of Kwara South.

I bring not just hope for the future but an actionable developmental agenda that will resonate well with the people of Kwara South. I bring an agenda for peace, progress and prosperity for a Kwara South that we all can be proud of.

You served on the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform of President Bola Tinubu that produced the Nigeria Tax Acts of June 2025; how do we reconcile this?

We make a lot of mistakes when we mix up politics with governance. This was part of the reason why when I was the Dean of the School of Business and Governance at KWASU, part of what we created was the Department of Politics and Governance as opposed to the Department of Political Science that you find in other universities.

I was at the forefront of distinguishing these things just like the Business and Entrepreneurship Department. Politics is different from governance.

We play and practice politics on the basis of parties and their ideological differences but governance has no political barriers because it serves the interests of every citizen. So, I will give it to President Tinubu, any day, anytime. I have lived the whole of my life in Lagos as I was born and raised in Lagos.

What took me to Kwara was the creation of Kwara State University as I was divinely led to the university to contribute my quota to my state which I believe I did to the best of my capacity hence I could make reference to my service of 10 years in Kwara State.

I wrote a book to put together my contributions at KWASU titled ‘Made in Lagos for Kwara’. Tinubu’s ability to differentiate between politics and governance stands out and his efforts at reforming the fiscal landscape should be given the chance to mature.

There are still grey areas but as far as the rottenness of Nigeria is concerned, there is no messiah anywhere that can fix this country. We all have to join hands together immediately after politics to concentrate on governance which is what will benefit the people.

Politics only benefits the politicians who prioritize their interests above that of the nation and its people. Whenever and wherever your expertise is required to serve the interests of the people, irrespective of your political alignment, I believe the onus lies on you to render that service if truly you love your country and its people.