2019 Fed House of Reps race: Why I’m the best candidate for Oshodi-Isolo constituency II – Anibaba
2019 Fed House of Reps race: Why I’m the best candidate for Oshodi-Isolo constituency II – Anibaba
By Abolaji Adebayo
Following the decision of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, to allow the youths occupy the exalted position, the nominated aspirant to contest for the Federal House of Representatives under the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Oshodi-Isolo constituency II, Hon. Habeeb Anibaba, has revealed the reasons why he remains the best preferred choice to represent the party in 2019 general elections.
The confident politician said his integrity has remained the major factor, which has stood him out, adding that his other laudable characters enticed the party stakeholders and the electorate to ask him to be the flag bearer of the party in 2019.
In an exclusive interview with Echonews, the aspirant told our correspondent that after the Honourable Commissioner decided to step down for a youth, the party leaders started examining some people and finally settled for him based on his (Anibaba’s) integrity and highest level of trustworthiness and humility cum his record of philanthropies among the people of the grassroots.
As a banker, Anibaba said for the past 13 years of his service, there was no trace of fraud or fund mismanagement in his record, adding that he had neither involved in corruption of any kind as verified by the party leaders.
“Yes, I’m bold to say I’m the best preferred candidate due to my integrity and good characters. I’m the best because I have a lot to offer. I have been offering a lot – helping people both in secret and in open.
“My integrity has stood me out, throughout my years in banking service I have never been accused of stealing money; money has never been missing in my care. I have never committed fraud.
“I have integrity and because of the job I do, trust is key, people must trust you before you keep their money.
“I’m somebody you can trust, you can count on my words. Whatever I say I will do. I will do. I always work towards achieving every goal that I set.
Apart from this, Anibaba disclosed that despite being a civil servant who depends solely on salary, he had supported many public primary schools within Oshodi-Isolo with the provision of books and other learning aids through his NGO – RedGrape Foundation.
He said he had been doing this for a long time even when he didn’t know he would contest for political post as he always believe in developing people and upgrading his environment.
The aspirant said that becoming a member of Federal House of Representatives would give him wider opportunity to extend his service to all other age groups and genders such as the youths, the elderly ones, the children as well as the women.
He noted that he had already fashioned out various empowerment programmes for different categories of people within his constituency, maintaining that the youths in particular would enjoy more inclusiveness in politics as there has been plan to get them employed in the various Federal Agencies no matter the quota.
Speaking on his political career, Anibaba said he is never a greenhorn in politics, disclosing that he has been in active politics since 1999, adding that he had equally contested for elective positions on two different occasions but was asked to step down.
He explained that he wanted to contest for the Lagos House of Assembly in 2015 before he was asked to wait for another time.
Again, he said he wanted to contest for the chairmanship of Ejigbo LCDA but once again asked to step down.
“This is my third time of coming out for an elective position and everybody has supported it. I believe this is my time and by God’s grace I shall be there to serve my people.”
Speaking on Bamigbetan’s decision to step down for him, Anibaba said, “People said Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan stepped down for Anibaba but Habeeb Anibaba first served in that position where Hon. Bamigbetan can push him forward.
“He looked critically then robbed mind with other leaders across the constituency before arriving at the name Habeeb Anibaba.
“If I wasn’t already in that position where people can deem it it fit that I can do it, nobody would come to step down for me. Nobody would put me forward.”
However, Anibaba said that he was also caught unaware with the decision of the Honourable Commissioner as he was also working for the realization of Bamigbetan’s political ambition VB before he decided to step down.
“I respect the Hon. Commissioner for the decision he took to out the youth forward and to have additional instead of substitution. When I first heard it also, I was taken aback. Why is he stepping down? Why is he not running again? Because I was part of the people supporting him and working towards the realization if his House of Reps ambition.
“I sincerely commend him and thank him for the opportunity given to, may God continue to bless him. And I promise never to disappoint him and the entire people of my constituency.”
