Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate for Ogun Central Iyabo Obasanjo has urged Nigerians to assess candidates based on their track records and commitment to public service rather than party affiliations.
Obasanjo who was a Senator between 2007 and 2011 said what should be uppermost in the minds of voters at polling booths should be who amongst those on the ballot has the capacity to improve their lives.
She explained during a television programme yesterday that her return to active politics after a 14-to-15-year break was due to an appeal by some Ogun Central residents.
According to her the individuals were not members of her family but people who independently believed she could make further contributions to society through political representation.
She maintained that her return to politics was not about abandoning her previous approach for a new political identity but continuing what she described as a longstanding commitment to improving people’s lives.
The former National Assembly member who declined to name her choice presidential candidate for the January 16 poll said taking a position on that could create confusion among voters assessing her senatorial ambition.
She said her candidacy should be assessed on its own merits including her previous record in public office and her commitment to addressing the needs of her constituents.
On her plans if elected the candidate said her approach to public service remained anchored in the same values that had guided her previous political engagements and academic career.
She said that her longstanding priority had been to help people improve their circumstances achieve their potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
According to her this commitment informed both her work in public office and her activities in academia.
Obasanjo cited her previous interventions in the health sector including the management of grants and hospital renovation projects as examples of efforts aimed at delivering practical benefits to communities.
Obasanjo also explained the political developments that preceded her return to the PDP recalling that she joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) when she sought the governorship ticket in the state.
Obasanjo said she was the only candidate who immediately congratulated the winner of the party’s consensus process.
He maintained that her movement between political parties had not altered her underlying commitment to public service.