FORMER Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja, I have not quit politics but won’t contest again

FORMER Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja on Sunday spoke on his future political plans, saying he has no plans to quit politics.

He, however, clarified that will no longer seek election into any political seat.

The Osi Olubadan, who promised to make himself available for any developmental politics in any part of the country, said he will never adopt the ‘siddon look’ approach to politics as being rumoured in some quarters.

Ladoja made the clarification to reporters in his Bodija, Ibadan residence on Sunday after observing the Eid-el-Kabir prayers.

He said: “Is it possible for someone to retire from politics? Are you not a politician? And so, what are they talking about? All I said was that I am not contesting again. Is that not retirement? That is retirement.

“I say I am not contesting again, but I will always go for developmental politics. Whether I am in partisan or non-partisan politics, if there are any developmental politics, I will always go for it anywhere in Nigeria. So, it is not a question of ‘siddon-look’, I am not ‘siddoning look’.”

In his assessment of the security situation in the country, the former governor said the government is not sincere in its approach to finding a lasting solution to the myriads of challenges facing the country adding that, if they are ready they will first look at the root causes of the challenges and tackle the same headlong.

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He said the people do not trust the government anymore because the government has not fulfill its promises to the people, adding that there is the need for frank talk between the people and the government to restore mutual confidence to tackle the various insecurity challenges in different parts of the country.

Ladoja said: “You know most of the time they talk about insecurity, we don’t sit down to look at the root cause of the problem. If we try to look at the root cause of the problem, then we will know that all these insecurities have got a root. And if we are not careful, we will be complicating it. Look at the Shiites people that were said to have been banned. They are calling for another Jihad. You know people take their religion very seriously and they will not want their religion to be killed. And that is another problem in our hands.

“The root cause is a question of equity. This is a conventional government both at the federal, state and local level. It was set up by a constitution and the constitution provides for the three arms of government. So, if one arm is dominating the other, then you cannot have the desired peace.

“Why should the court grant El-Zakzaky bail and they refuse to release him? And now, the people are saying, release our leader, after all, he has been granted bail and if you don’t want to release him, then take him to court. Then if the court asked them to jail him, then it’s another thing. But, they didn’t take him to court and they didn’t release him and his people are worried and they said the man is sick.”