Ogun ADC Governorship Candidate, Ogundipe, Promises ‘Tech-Driven Security in 12 Months’ .......Pledges To Resign If Graduates Remain Jobless After 2 Years

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship candidate in Ogun State, Dr. Biyodun Collins Ogundipe, popularly known as BCO, has promised to tackle the state’s security challenges within his first 12 months in office using “technology and intelligence-driven approach.”

He also made a bold political pledge: to resign as governor if he fails to provide jobs for all graduates in the state within two years of assuming office.

Ogundipe made the commitments while addressing newsmen on the sideline of BCO Convergence for unemployed graduates in Ogun Central held in Abeokuta, the state capital, where he outlined his “Ogun One Economy” blueprint ahead of its planned August launch.

The ADC candidate said insecurity has paralyzed farming, trading, education, and healthcare delivery across Ogun, citing situations where farmers “are no more going to their farm” due to fear of kidnapping.

“Now, if you are a farmer, you are a trader, you are a market woman, tell me, with the current situation of security in Nigeria and Ogun State now, are you able to carry out your business with a free mind?” Ogundipe asked.

He linked the economic slowdown to lack of safety: “A trader that could stay till 6:00 or 7:00 PM to do more business, once it is 3:00 or 4:00 PM, they start packing and going home, right? So, once someone, people like us come into governance and we can provide security, it will translate to many development.”

On his plan, Ogundipe said: “Security is at the heart of it, and if I can secure the state...” He stated that his administration would deploy “technology and intelligence-driven approach” to restore safety within the first year. 

He also noted the ripple effect on social life and health: “Even schools now cannot do inter-house sports anymore... Those nurses cannot stay in those rural areas because of the fear of being kidnapped.”

Ogundipe tied his governorship ambition to job creation for youths, citing six years of work through the BCO Foundation which has sponsored “about 97” undergraduates since inception.

“As much as we’ve tried in the last six years through BCO Foundation, it’s like a little drop,” he said. “And that is the reason why I’m running.”

He then made the resignation pledge, saying accountability would define his government. 

“I’m not your typical politician that I’m just doing something because I’m running for an office,” Ogundipe said, referencing his foundation’s loans to artisans and traders in the last two years.

The candidate said his administration would run on a tech-first model anchored on a policy document titled “Ogun One Economy.” 

“We have spent the last two years, I have about six research analysts working on this blueprint, dealing with every facet, every sector of the economy of Ogun State. Agriculture, industry, health, education, technology, even infrastructure,” he stated.

Ogundipe claimed he has been engaging foreign partners to attract investments, including “about $1.2 billion” for projects like a deep sea port. 

“Most of these people you have in governance now don’t know or don’t have what it takes to attract partners that understand the type of technological advancement the world is moving into,” he said. “If you have someone at the helm of affairs who cannot even articulate how to leverage technology for such a job creation, where do we start from?”

He also demonstrated how Artificial Intelligence could help youths, lawyers, teachers, and journalists to work faster. “If you leave here today, you could write your article or your press release under five minutes, if you prompt it with the right terms,” he told journalists.

Ogundipe positioned himself as a departure from “analog and archaic knowledge” in governance. “You need people like myself, people like BCO in governance, to be able to open that... to lift the state from what people call this analog and archaic knowledge to someone that understands the 21st-century minds requirement of running an economy,” he said.

Highlights of the event included the presentation of cash gift to a young widow and a promise of a new freezer for her to support her business.

Other participants would also be supported with financial assistance on their genuine business ideas.