2019 Election: MKO Abiola’s Daughter To Run For House Of Reps

Coming a month after her defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Rinsola Abiola, a daughter of the late Moshood Abiola has declared her intention to run for the Abeokuta North federal constituency seat in the House of Representatives under the flag of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the 2019 elections.

She announced her intention in a statement she issued on Sunday.

“I wish to formally notify you of my desire to represent Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the Action Democratic Party in 2019, God willing,” she said in the statement

She said the decision was reached after months of careful thought and extensive consultations and is “predicated upon the strong conviction that my people deserve dutiful representation.”

“I feel deeply connected to my people as I spent a good portion of my formative years in Ogun state. I got most of my education in Abeokuta and I have voted in my hometown since I became eligible to vote; Ogun Central has always been home.”

Ms. Abiola was a special assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, for three years.

She had returned her APC membership card to her ward chairman, alleging the party was “dictatorial and not youth-friendly.”

Asserting her experience in legislative matters, she said she has “keenly observed parliamentary proceedings and if elected, the experience garnered will enable her get to work immediately without needing to first ‘learn the ropes’.”

However, she decried the representation of youth and women in the Ogun state caucus of the National Assembly.

“My aspiration is made possible by the recently enacted Not Too Young To Run law, a campaign I actively participated in. I have consistently advocated for youth and women inclusion, and I believe that there is no better way to transition from tokenism to meaningful inclusion than to utilise this law by running for office.”

The aspirant then pledged to use all legislative tools at her disposal to address the infrastructural needs, healthcare, agriculture, youth and women empowerment in Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Local Government Areas.