It’ll be difficult for a moneybag to fly APC flag in Ondo –Iyantan

You have declared intention to contest for the governorship of Ondo State; how prepared are you?
Preparation takes this format; interaction with party members who will cast their votes; interaction with the leaders of the party, trying to market your unique points to the appropriate quarters. I have not relented on these since I made my intention known to the people of the state and I have been receiving positive responses from members of our party across the state. So far, it has been a good experience for me.

Which mode of primary election do you consider better for the party?
We have three options in our party by the law of the party, which are consensus, indirect and direct primary. As an aspirant, I am ready for the one adopted by the party. But if we are looking at the mass participation of party members and trying to prevent some moneybags from hijacking the process, it will be more appropriate to use a direct mode of primary that involves every card-carrying member of the party. That one is more democratic than the other options.

What are the programmes you have for the people of the state that would make a difference from what previous administrations had done?
I have a lot of things in stock for the state, but I will build them on the foundation of sincerity, commitment to the development of the state and passion for the people of the state as well as with the fear of God. I know that if we put the fear of God first in our disposition, then there is the possibility that what we have may be able to go round to a reasonable extent and this will go a long way in ameliorating the sufferings of the people.
But in specific areas of agriculture, because we are going to prioritize agriculture, if we invest, there will be less pain in the land. If the people can afford three square meals, that will go a long way in reducing the pain in the land. We will encourage every citizen of the state to key into different value chains of agriculture. We will come up with policies that will encourage our citizens to embrace agriculture through the provision of all necessary facilities and inputs.
As local governments are close to the people at the grassroots, my policies will take effect from the local government level. I will reactivate all departments at the local government. There will be provision of credit facilities and the monitoring of the farms by agricultural extension officials to enhance the yielding of the crops and Gross Domestic Production (GDP) of the state.
Earthmoving equipment would be procured and the Works Department at the local government level will put all the farmstead roads in good condition for easy access to the farms for transportation of the produce to the markets. We shall also encourage public-private partnership investment in the sector to explore livestock production and every value chain of agriculture. This will go a long way in mopping up the unemployment market and invariably reduce crime in the state.
Most of all, we shall create an enabling environment for business to thrive because no investor will put his or her money in a place where he or she is not sure of its safety. In other sectors, there are lots of things we want to do to turn around the socio-economic status of our state.

Looking at the number of graduates being churned out annually by higher institutions of learning in the country; how do you intend to tempt young graduates to embrace agriculture?
Agriculture is a veritable means of employment for young graduates, but they will be given some vocational training that will create employment for them and make them self-reliant. As I said earlier, we will provide all the necessary facilities that will make them see the financial benefits inherent in agriculture. They will practice any form of agriculture in which they are interested in a conducive environment without fear of any form of insecurity.
We will also create a cooperative for them from which they can draw credit facilities from time to time to enhance their production. We will give seedlings and starter packs to everyone in all the agriculture value chains. Such credit facility will be in one digit interest rate if at all there will be interest rate.

Considering the crop of heavyweight politicians, who are contesting for the same ticket in your party, how do you consider your chances in the primary?
I know, once it was said, twice I heard that power belongs to God. No man can alter the plan of God. I'm convinced by that, and I should have no reason to fear any man. The only two things that make some people heavyweight are because they have access to more funds and they are the people who can ascertain the sources of the funds.
But if we are to talk in terms of proximity to the people of Ondo State, period of participating in politics of the progressive in the whole of the state, I'm the oldest among all of them, coming from the southern senatorial district, and I have always been around. There's one thing again, I'm the most eligible for the post in terms of my interactions with the people of Ondo State, my antecedent and spread to the three senatorial districts.
By providence, I'm of the south, from one of the biggest political families in the south. I have been a resident in the central senatorial district since 1998 and have been participating in progressive politics. My wife is from the northern senatorial district, the Akoko extraction. So, I have been committed to all three senatorial districts of the state because I'm related to them all.
So, this makes them more qualified than all of the people contesting. I'm a full-time resident of Ondo State. Ondo State is not my work place that is where I live and have all I have; my family and everything. Some of them contesting don't live in Ondo State, they are citizens of Ondo State, no doubt about that, but they choose Ondo State as a workplace. They only come from their base. Some are based in Lagos, some in Port Harcourt, some in Abuja and even some overseas.

You sound confident in winning the ticket of your party; are you relying on your family's political dynasty?
Indeed, I come from a very big political family, with good antecedents and this is known to everybody in the southern senatorial district. I think we come from the biggest political family in the south, the Iyantan family. Coincidentally, my brother was a deputy governor in the state during Governor Ade Adefarati-led's administration from 1999 to 2003. They did marvelously well. My brother brought about a new definition of loyalty and commitment to governors.
That was why the government could achieve what it achieved then because there was no altercation between the governor and the deputy governor. They were like father like son; like brothers' relationship and that helped the state a lot. Incidentally, my father, Pa Thompson Olajide Iyantan, is the oldest Afenifere man living on earth at age 106. My grandfather also was an Afenifere man. I still have his membership card. So, we have been in progressive politics for a very long time.
My father is well respected in the politics of the state because of his ideological stand on issues which had strengthened the state in the past. At a time, my father was the deputy chairman of the Elders Forum when Baba Reuben Fasoranti was the chairman during the Adefarati-led administration. So, I come from a very vibrant political family.
Since I participated in politics, I have distinguished myself and built an indefatigable brand in the state. I have unfettered interaction with the people of the state, and they are accessible to me at any given time. I interact with them and I know where the shoe pinches. I have always been participating in politics with integrity, commitment and loyalty. Some of our leaders can attest that Prince Diran Iyantan has always been a loyal, competent person with a high level of integrity.

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