Ondo South Senate Seat: I'm the Ideal Candidate to Succeed Jimoh Ibrahim, Says Oyerinmade

Mathew Oye Oyerinmade, also known as Mato, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Maric Nigeria Limited and an All Progressives Congress senatorial aspirant for Ondo South, shares his insights on various topics, including his ambition, the economy, party unity, and the 2027 prospects.

The recent state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom has yielded significant benefits, according to Mato, who views the visit as a strategic engagement to advance Nigeria's economic and institutional interests rather than a mere ceremonial occasion.

The visit has resulted in concrete economic cooperation, including an agreement securing approximately £746 million in export finance for the refurbishment of Lagos and Tin Can Island ports, which will enhance trade efficiency, logistics, job creation, and Nigeria's competitiveness as a regional commercial hub.

The efficient functioning of ports is crucial for the economy's performance, and the visit has strengthened Nigeria's trade and investment relationship with the UK, reinforcing frameworks aimed at attracting foreign direct investment and expanding market access for Nigerian businesses.

Such engagements build investor confidence and signal that Nigeria is serious about recovery and growth, particularly at a time of ongoing economic reforms, and the visit sends a strong message that Nigeria is re-engaging globally at the highest level.

In international relations, perception matters, and when a country demonstrates stability and leadership, it enhances credibility, which often translates into partnerships and investments, but the real test lies in implementation, and agreements must translate into measurable outcomes.

Mato believes that the visit goes beyond symbolism and reflects a purposeful effort to position Nigeria for growth and global relevance, and that the President's Renewed Hope Agenda has shown bold, reform-driven leadership, laying a strong foundation for long-term stability and growth.

The administration has demonstrated courage in addressing the fuel subsidy regime and restructuring the foreign exchange system, restoring fiscal discipline, improving transparency, and repositioning Nigeria as a credible investment destination, and is shifting from a consumption-driven economy to a more productive one.

The government has combined reforms with targeted interventions to cushion vulnerable Nigerians, and these programmes are increasingly structured for sustainability, and institutionally, the administration is strengthening transparency and accountability through reforms in public finance and regulation.

Nigeria's renewed global engagement reflects growing confidence in its governance direction, and the Renewed Hope Agenda is already achieving its core objective: correcting structural weaknesses, rebuilding economic credibility, and setting Nigeria on a sustainable path to prosperity.

As these reforms continue to mature, their full benefits will become even more evident in job creation, improved infrastructure, stronger institutions, and a better quality of life for Nigerians, and the President has chosen the path of responsibility over populism, which is what true leadership requires.

Mato also addresses concerns about divisions within the APC in Ondo, stating that the narrative of division or rivalry is largely overstated, and that the party remains one united family, built on shared values and loyalty to its vision.

Differences in opinion should not be mistaken for conflict, and in fact, they show internal dynamism, and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, are respected leaders working within the same political structure, with complementary roles, not competitive ones.

Mato came second in the 2022 APC senatorial primary for Ondo South District, but views this as a valuable experience, giving him deeper insight into party dynamics, grassroots expectations, and stakeholder engagement, and has since built relationships across all six local governments.

He believes that power comes from God, and while doing the necessary political work, ultimate success is determined by Him, and today, he is better positioned, with stronger support and wider acceptability, and remains one of the most visible and widely accepted figures in Ondo South.

If elected, Mato plans to take practical steps to improve lives, with his approach anchored on programmes, institutions, and measurable outcomes that directly improve the lives of the people, starting with economic empowerment, particularly for youths and the emerging workforce.

He intends to equip young people with in-demand digital skills through the MATO Digital Innovation Programme, creating pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and global competitiveness, and will also focus on grassroots economic inclusion through the Agro-Cooperative and Micro-Enterprise Empowerment Scheme.

This scheme will organise farmers, traders, and small-scale entrepreneurs into structured cooperatives, giving them access to inputs, training, and micro-credit, with the goal of moving people from subsistence to sustainability, and from survival to prosperity.

Mato will also implement the MATO Healthcare Initiative, providing community-based medical outreach, routine check-ups, and targeted support for low-income senior citizens, and will leverage legislative advocacy and strategic partnerships to attract and accelerate projects in roads, power, water supply, digital connectivity, and maritime development.

He will champion environmental justice, ensuring that impacted communities receive proper remediation and that development is both inclusive and sustainable, and education remains a key pillar, with plans to support students from Ondo South through bursaries and grants to reduce financial barriers and invest in human capital.

Mato will institutionalise a strong accountability and engagement framework, including quarterly town hall meetings, public reporting of constituency projects, and continuous stakeholder engagement, and believes that representation must be visible, participatory, and measurable.

If given the mandate, the people of Ondo South will have a system of delivery, a structure of accountability, and a leadership that is present, responsive, and impact-driven, and Mato is committed to moving representation from promises to programmes, from presence to performance, and from politics to measurable progress.