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The Oyo State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olooye Adegboyega Adegoke, has vowed to construct a 100-kilometre standard single-gauge railway from Moniya in Ibadan to Saki in Oke-Ogun to facilitate the movement of agricultural produce to markets across the state and the South-West.
He made the disclosure when he featured on Arise News Television’s Morning Show in Lagos.
According to him, the proposed rail line would be a priority of his administration if elected governor in 2027.
The project, he added, is aimed principally at opening up Oke-Ogun, which he described as the food basket of Oyo State, and creating an efficient transportation corridor between farming communities and major consumer markets in Ibadan and other parts of the South-West.
He said easier movement of farm produce would benefit farmers through improved access to markets, while also helping to ensure a more efficient supply of food to the urban population.
Explaining the estimated cost, Adegoke said a standard single-gauge railway would cost about $3 million per kilometre, stressing that the figure was the estimated cost per kilometre and not for the entire 100-kilometre project.
He added that a standard double-gauge railway would cost about $6 million per kilometre.
Adegoke stated that the railway had become necessary because of the agricultural importance of Oke-Ogun and the need to provide infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale agricultural production and distribution.
The ADC candidate, who said he studied Agricultural Economics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, before becoming a chartered accountant, pledged to give farmers across Oyo State greater support if elected.
He said his background in agriculture and accountancy would help shape his approach to agricultural development, infrastructure and public finance.
Adegoke said his economic blueprint was encapsulated in his political slogan, SOLUTIONS 2027, which he said represents his priorities for the state.
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According to him, the agenda covers security of lives and property; organic development of agriculture; job creation; urban renewal of major cities; transformation of the health and education sectors; industrial revolution and infrastructure development.
He also listed on-the-job training for teachers and special schemes or status for them, deployment of new technologies across government businesses and broader socio-economic development among the components of the programme.
On infrastructure contracts, Adegoke said his administration would operate a local-content policy that would give priority to competent contractors from Oyo State.
He said the policy would reduce the practice of routinely bringing consultants and contractors from outside the state for projects that could be handled by qualified indigenous professionals and businesses.
Speaking on the 2027 governorship contest, Adegoke also made comparative claims about himself and the candidates of the other two parties he identified as major contenders, which are the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described himself as the strongest of the three candidates and said his candidacy was free from what he described as political blemishes.
Adegoke characterised the APM candidate, Bimbo Adekambi, as an extension of the present administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, citing the party’s Omituntun 3.0 slogan. He stated further that the APC candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, was facing an issue of alleged godfatherism.
He declared: “Out of the three popular candidates of the three major parties – the APM, APC and ADC – I’m the beautiful bride, not tainted by any godfather; God Almighty is my father.”
He said the ADC would seek to offer voters an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 election.
