JUST IN: Ojudu defends call for action on abandoned Akure-Ado-Ekiti Road

By Boye Oyeyemi

Former Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who represented Ekiti Central Senatorial District, has defended his criticism of the abandonment of the Akure-Ado-Ekiti Road, saying political loyalty should not prevent citizens from demanding accountability from the government.

Ojudu stated this in a Facebook post sighted by Western Post on Wednesday while reacting to criticism from some members of the All Progressives Congress over his earlier call for government attention to the deteriorating road project.

The former senator said he was commended by members of the party when he praised the Federal Government for its work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway but faced criticism after drawing attention to the stalled Akure-Ado-Ekiti Road, which leads to his residence.

He questioned whether belonging to a political party required citizens to surrender their conscience, citizenship and right to demand accountability, asking whether party loyalty meant applauding everything and questioning nothing.

Ojudu argued that calling attention to an abandoned public project should not be interpreted as an attack on the government, stressing that his APC membership did not strip him of his rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

He said he could commend the government when it performed well and question it when something appeared to have gone wrong, adding that there was no contradiction between the two positions because it was part of his responsibility as a citizen.

Reacting to a headline published by The PUNCH on his earlier intervention, Ojudu said describing his action as “tackling” the Federal Government wrongly portrayed his demand for accountability as a political confrontation.

He therefore said citizens should demand answers on the status of the project, including what caused its abandonment, who was responsible, the funds released and spent, and the measures being taken to complete it, adding that road failures affect Nigerians regardless of their political affiliations.