A versatile Lawyer and public affairs consultant, Ghani Rotimi Arobo has declared his intention to contest the House of Representatives seat for Owo/Ose Federal Constituency in Ondo State, citing years of underdevelopment and poor infrastructure in the area.
Arobo, who has practiced law for nearly two decades and advised political actors, said he initially stayed out of elective politics because he found it “too complex, too difficult, and too demanding while speaking to Journalists shortly after been screened by the APC screening committee in Abuja on Saturday.
“But we cannot repeat that term from the outside. If we all complain that the room is dead, then somebody has to get inside, pick up a room and begin to sleep,” he said during an interaction with supporters.
He described Owo/Ose as “one of the most backward constituencies in the Southwest,” pointing to low incomes, poor infrastructure, and limited electricity access. According to him, the average income in the constituency ranges between ₦300,000 and ₦500,000 annually, with farming as the main employer of labor but largely subsistence and without mechanization or support.
“The state of our infrastructure is so deplorable it’s an embarrassment to reference yourself as someone from that constituency,” he said.
Arobo highlighted the situation in Ose Local Government Area, stating that apart from Okelusan village, which has power due to its proximity to the current representative, most of the area has been without electricity for over 10 years.
“Have you not sentenced people to backwardness? Once you have a situation like that, what can you do? So for us, the decision to run is not optional. We have to go through it,” he said.
He said his experience in law, exposure to development programs, and international interactions had equipped him to “turn this wasteland into a land of opportunities, to turn poverty into prosperity.”
Arobo also pledged to align local needs with the federal government’s agenda, noting that while President Bola Tinubu’s administration is pushing reforms, the impact must reach all 774 local governments.
“As legislators, you have the tools and the power of appropriation. When a project is put before the House, you must push to ensure attention is drawn to the problems of your constituents,” he said.
He added that his legal work for communities at both the House of Representatives and Senate had given him insight into legislative processes, saying, “It’s not like asking a fish to go and climb a tree. You’re asking this fish to enter water, and we will swim and deliver.”
Arobo said his campaign would focus on improving electricity, infrastructure, agriculture, and economic opportunities in Owo/Ose.
