Why I slept outside my house for a year – guber candidate

Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the Action Alliance, Mr Tope Balogun, on Tuesday said that he had not slept in house in the past one year due to his political ambition.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the 40-year-old politician said that he sacrificed the comfort of sleeping in his house to enable him to study Lagos State well to be able to proffer solutions to its problems, if elected.

Balogun said that the commercial nerve centre deserved such a sacrifice.

He said that his team had studied the state and identified challenges facing the masses and was ready to bring succour to the residents if elected the governor on Saturday.

According to him, his Rebirth Agenda will end hardship in the state.

“All these things (challenges facing the people of the state), we have studied, and are committed to tackling them.

“For the past one year, I have not slept in my house because of this project.

“It is not because I don’t have a house to sleep in, but this project is one that needs sacrifices, it is a project that we are determined to execute if Lagos residents give us the mandate,” he said.

On his chances of winning the governorship poll scheduled for Saturday, Balogun said that Action Alliance had strategies that would grant him victory.

“We are more focused. We will deploy our strength.

“I am going to win this election by God’s grace. We are going to deploy the last part of our strategies,” the computer scientist said.

Balogun, who described himself as the face of the new order in Lagos State, said that he had been in politics for more than two decades.

The Lagos State Secretary of the defunct Congress of Progressive Change and member of the interim executive of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, said that he was not seeking the topmost seat in the state to enrich himself.

“We saw that things were not actually going the way they should,” he said.

According to him, the situation led to formation of the Action Alliance which has the slogan: “Let the masses live.’’

“We have been professionals in politics. Integrity and compassion for the masses have been our interest till date.

“Our Rebirth Agenda is geared towards the hallmark of governance which is provision of comfort, tranquility and succour to the populace,” he said.

Balogun said that the party would be committed to equity.

He said: “Our ambition is not to enrich ourselves or enrich others; it is to give comfort. Governance is not a business venture to enrich leaders.”

On the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Saturday’s polls, he said, “INEC has tried to a large extent.

“There is no organisation without saboteurs. INEC has been doing well though it may have challenges.”

He, however, urged INEC to address some challenges faced during the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

He listed the challenges to include lateness of electoral materials and personnel.

He urged the commission to accommodate more party agents.

“We want Lagos residents to come out to vote without any fear. We want their votes to count,” he said.

He called for improved security during Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly Elections.