…. promises six constituency offices, vows to tackle kidnapping
The Allied People’s Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Ondo Central, Sunday Falae, has questioned the whereabouts of the N760 million reportedly approved for the Owena-Alade-Idanre Road project, alleging that the project was paid for but remained unexecuted.
Falae, who raised concerns over what he described as poor representation of the district, said the condition of the road called for accountability from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
Speaking in an interview, the senatorial hopeful said the road project was an example of why elected representatives must be held accountable for public funds and the delivery of projects meant to benefit their constituents.
“Look at the Owena-Alade-Idanre Road that was awarded and supposedly executed. The N760 million, we don’t know where it went, and that road was not touched,” he alleged.
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He argued that public scrutiny should not be concentrated on the Federal Government alone, insisting that state and local governments, as well as elected representatives, must account for the resources allocated to them.
According to him, the responsibility of lawmakers goes beyond political activities to ensuring that projects and government interventions translate into tangible benefits for the people.
Falae, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the APM ahead of the 2027 general election, said his decision to contest the senatorial seat was informed by complaints from residents across the six local government areas of Ondo Central over what he described as ineffective representation.
He said he had previously supported the incumbent senator’s emergence, serving as Director-General of his campaign in the federal constituency and providing logistical and financial support during the campaign.
However, he said his interactions with residents during visits to the communities convinced him that the district needed a different approach to representation, particularly in the areas of employment, empowerment and grassroots development.
“It is not about me because what I would eat, God has provided for me. But it is about how we reach the common man and the grassroots, so that people can feel that somebody is actually representing them.
“Representation should be about empowerment, jobs, employment and all of that. The problem is that representation is not being felt at the grassroots,” he said.
To address the situation, Falae promised to establish staffed constituency offices in each of the six local government areas, with at least a lawyer available to assist residents with legal and other complaints.
He said the offices would provide a permanent channel through which constituents could access their representatives and seek assistance without having to travel long distances or wait for occasional political visits.
The candidate also promised to introduce needs-based empowerment programmes, arguing that political interventions should be designed around the economic activities and actual needs of beneficiaries.
He recalled an instance at a previous empowerment programme where a woman who received a grinding machine allegedly had to sell it at a giveaway price because she could not afford to transport it home.
He also cited complaints by some youths who received hair dryers despite not having hairdressing businesses.
“Empowerment should be tailored to the needs of the people. If I go to a particular community, I should ask what their needs are. Whatever I provide should be based on what they have told me they need,” he said.
On insecurity, Falae identified kidnapping as one of the major concerns requiring urgent attention in the senatorial district, promising to engage federal security agencies and the state government to strengthen security operations.
He said he would approach the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services and other relevant agencies to seek greater security presence and intervention in vulnerable communities.
Recalling kidnapping incidents in his community, he said the attacks had affected farming and economic activities, as residents became afraid of going to their farms for fear of being abducted.
He disclosed that he had personally intervened in some cases, including providing N1 million to assist one victim, who eventually died.
According to him, the experience reinforced his determination to make security a priority if elected.
Falae said he had also engaged the state government on the security situation, adding that the establishment of an Amotekun operational room and the planned provision of an office for the security outfit in the affected area would help improve surveillance and response.
On his defection from the APC, the candidate said he was approached by different political parties but eventually settled for the APM, partly because he did not want to campaign against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ambition.
He explained that his initial reluctance to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was informed by his belief that a Yoruba president should be allowed to complete the constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure, as former President Muhammadu Buhari did.
Falae described his political support base as a rainbow coalition, claiming that people from different political parties had indicated their support for his senatorial ambition.
He also claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had adopted him as its candidate for the district, a development he said had strengthened his chances in the contest.
The APM candidate expressed confidence that the party would gain wider acceptance before the election, particularly among voters dissatisfied with the established political parties.
He dismissed concerns about vote-buying, arguing that voters could collect money offered by politicians but still vote according to their conscience.
According to him, the growing tendency of voters to support different political parties for different elective positions could affect the chances of candidates relying on party structures and financial inducements.
On the relationship he would maintain with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa if elected, Falae said political differences would not prevent him from working with the state government to attract development to the district.
He said effective representation required cooperation with relevant authorities rather than unnecessary political confrontation.
“I don’t have to fight anybody. You have to be friends with everybody. You cannot say that because I’m in a different party, I will not relate with them,” he said, adding that he would build relationships across political divides to secure projects and other benefits for his constituents.
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