Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi, former Executive Secretary of the West Africa Economic Summit Secretariat, has unveiled a bitumen-driven economic development blueprint for Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Odigbo Federal Constituency in Ondo State, pledging to implement it if elected.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who is seeking the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the House of Representatives, spoke to journalists in Abuja after submitting her expression of interest and nomination forms.
She was accompanied by a broad coalition of political stakeholders, grassroots mobilisers, and influential party figures, including women leaders from across the state and her constituency.
The aspirant highlighted the economic potential of the constituency, pointing to the Ore industrial corridor, vast bitumen deposits in Odigbo, and the cocoa-rich belt of Ile-Oluji as critical assets that remain underutilised.
She noted that her development plan is anchored on unlocking these assets to drive industrialisation, job creation, and sustainable growth.
“I have spent years working at the intersection of policy, investment, and governance. What matters is ensuring that this experience translates into real outcomes for our people,” she stated.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi, former Senior Special Adviser to the immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said with a track record that includes facilitating over $150 million in investment pipelines and coordinating regional engagements involving Heads of State, her ambition is driven by results rather than promises.
She emphasised that her grassroots interventions through the Read2Succeed Africa initiative, alongside her engagement with party structures and community stakeholders, demonstrate a balance between high-level experience and local impact.
Fajemirokun-Ajayi said her decision to contest is rooted in a desire to give voice to underrepresented groups, particularly women and youths, while ensuring her constituency benefits meaningfully from democratic governance.
She noted that elections offer citizens a clear choice between continuity and change, stressing that the power ultimately rests with the people.
“Every election cycle presents an opportunity for the people to decide whether they are satisfied with the status quo or ready for something new. Democracy is about the people, and they will make that decision. Our responsibility is to show that women and young people can step forward, lead, and deliver on the mandates given to them,” she said.
However, she expressed concern over the low participation and electoral success of women in Nigerian politics, describing it as a gap that must be urgently addressed.
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