The fact remains that the government is an institution that can bring change. I just made up my mind that there is a need to get into this space. We have been constantly being ruled by the worst of us and there is a need for capable people in government.
INTERVIEW: Youths need party with structure to win, says Simi Olusola, PDP candidate for Ekiti assemblyHaving worked in the non-profit space for more than a decade, Simi Olusola, co-founder of The Nigerian Alliance , an organisation which aims to elect “servant politicians”, has worked to include young people in governance and empower them in business.
I don’t think there is any party in Nigeria that we can call a ‘progressive’ party. Not even the Labour Party that everyone is talking about right now; they do not have a structure. From what I have seen, PDP is still the best. It is not what it should be at present, but if you look at the kind of leaders that PDP has produced, the way it runs its affairs and its coordination, it still outperforms every other party.
Within a year of joining the party, I was already being asked to join national committees. One thing with the party is that if you can add value — not look for favours — the party would open up its doors to you. There is an opportunity to get the job done. I know I can get the job done, that is why I’m running for the position. I also want to be able to open up the space [for] many other young people, especially young women. I hope that my journey will be an inspiration to them. By 2027, we should have plenty of young people like me and that is because they had seen my journey.
The second thing for me would be economic empowerment. I want to support a favourable environment for businesses to thrive. I’m also particular about gender issues. I want to ensure policies on equity for women.