Ondo APC Reps aspirant dismisses critics over grassroots support

By Matthew Johnson

An aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Ile-Oluji Oke-Igbo Odigbo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, Simi Fajemirokun-Ajayi, has dismissed claims that she lacks sufficient grassroots support to win the general elections.

Fajemirokun-Ajayi, in a statement, insisted that she remained well known across the constituency through years of community engagement and empowerment initiatives.

According to her, she has consistently maintained close contact with residents through youth and women empowerment programmes, educational support schemes and stakeholder engagements across the constituency.

The policy strategist and development advocate maintained that the outcome of the APC primary reflected the mood at the grassroots, noting that delegates and party structures involved in the process represented the same mobilisation base used during general elections.

According to her, the support she received during the primary election “was built on trust, relationships and sustained involvement in community development activities.”

On claims by some aspirants of enjoying the backing of political heavyweights and godfathers, the APC aspirant said her strength lies with ordinary party members and grassroots supporters.

Fajemirokun also addressed recent media attention surrounding her past advocacy against alleged workplace harassment, saying women should not be punished for speaking out against misconduct.

She expressed appreciation to women groups, youth organisations, religious bodies and other stakeholders in the constituency for their support.

Speaking on the controversy trailing the APC House of Representatives primary election in Ondo State, Fajemirokun-Ajayi said results collated by her supporters and agents showed strong grassroots backing for her aspiration.

She added that transparency remained critical to strengthening democracy and public trust.

The APC aspirant further noted that women in Nigeria continued to face structural, cultural and financial barriers in politics, including intimidation, exclusion from decision-making processes and online harassment.

According to her, women seeking elective positions are often subjected to different standards from their male counterparts.

Fajemirokun-Ajayi said: “I respectfully disagree with that narrative because the evidence on the ground says otherwise.

“My godfathers are the people on the streets, the grassroots, party executives and members who went door-to-door to mobilise votes. Those are my godfathers.

“I focus on my race. Whether others are supported by governors or ministers is not my concern. Politics is a game and we are presenting ourselves as competent and capable and allowing the people to decide. Ultimately, the people will win,” she said.

“We remain confident in the democratic process and hopeful that the will of party members will ultimately be respected.

“Nigeria cannot genuinely develop while excluding half of its talent pool from political participation.Silence protects and enables abuse; accountability protects institutions.”

The former Senior Special Assistant on Strategy, Investment and Partnership to former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said her ambition was driven by service, representation and inclusive governance.

She identified youth empowerment, women inclusion, education, entrepreneurship and strengthening local economic opportunities as key priorities if elected into the National Assembly.

The founder of Read2Succeed Africa said politics should focus on addressing the everyday concerns of Nigerians, including jobs, education, security and economic opportunities.

She also called on political leaders to uphold fairness, accountability and greater inclusion of women in governance.

“This moment is bigger than me. It is about the future of inclusive politics in Nigeria and whether capable women can participate without intimidation,” she said.

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