Olajide Esan, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate for the Osun State gubernatorial race, has committed to empowering citizens if he wins the election scheduled for August 15. Speaking at an Arise Television town hall debate, Esan argued that while Osun is filled with politicians, it lacks authentic leaders dedicated to public service.
Esan criticized the current political culture, claiming it thrives on exploiting the hardships of the populace. He stated that his administration would prioritize citizen participation to shift the power dynamic back to the residents, who he believes are currently forced to serve their leaders. To achieve this, he intends to create an Osun Resident Database to improve government planning and service delivery through reliable data.
Furthermore, Esan proposed a public financial dashboard, enabling residents to track government expenditures and hold officials accountable for every naira spent. He believes this transparency will curb the trend of career politicians treating governance as a profitable enterprise. By implementing these structural changes, the candidate aims to make public office more responsive to the public interest and eliminate the status quo of personal enrichment in government.
