After defecting from PDP to APC, Lagos lawmaker says I am ready to return to my profession

By Patrick Okohue

The Last Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu, has said that he would resume his profession after his tenure in June.

Olorunrinu, representing Amuwo-Odofin Constituency I at the Lagos Assembly announced his defection to APC during plenary citing lack of structure in the main opposition party, PDP as reason.

The first term lawmaker, who resisted all pressure to defect alongside seven of the PDP lawmakers that moved to APC in 2017, lost his seat with 278 votes to Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay of APC during the March 9, general elections.

Speaking with NAN on Tuesday, Olorunrinu said: “I am a developer by profession. I am going back to my business and I will be running politics alongside with my business.

“Politics, to me is the ability to impact and affect lives. Politics is service not a profession, I am going back to the reality of life. I will continue serving the downtrodden even outside public office.

“The day I lost election with 278 votes was a Sunday, I said to myself life moves on even if I lost it with one or two votes. For me, service to ordinary people is an in-born thing, we will continue to serve school children, youths and others.”

According to him, his free school bus services resumed operation on Monday after the Sunday he lost election because of his love for the people. 

“I didn’t say because I lost election, the school buses should stop. They are still working till today; you can make your findings in my constituency.

“It is not the children that didn’t vote for me, these are the people we are in government for. Most of them knew I lost election. We win some, we lose some. When we lose, we are not losers, but we lost to know how not to win again.

“God crowns every effort and He alone chooses leaders. I have served the people and set a standard of what good representation should be. I have always been a man of the people,” the lawmaker said.

Olorunrinu, who expressed readiness to support the new lawmaker-elect, Alli-Macaulay, said that he had a good relationship with his predecessors and that this has enabled him to succeed as a lawmaker.

“I am not going out to see the new lawmaker-elect for my seat because if she fails, it will affect the people who I have dedicated these four years of youthful service to.

“The best thing I can do is to add up her (Alli-Macaulay) administration and I know she is an enlightened person and that she has something to offer.

“I have related well with members of the APC, APGA and others in my constituency, I am not a party fanatics. My concern is how governance will benefit the masses,” he added.