Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has directed his advisory council to engage with credible governorship aspirants within the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 election.
The council, chaired by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Bolaji Ayorinde, has been tasked with meeting all PDP aspirants to understand their plans for the state and provide recommendations for a candidate who would continue the “Omituntun 3.0” agenda. Invitation letters have reportedly been sent to all aspirants to ensure a level playing field.
Some aspirants who have already participated include Adedeji Olajide (Odidiomo), a member of the House of Representatives for Ibadan South-West/North-East; Nureni Adeniran, State Chairman of Universal Basic Education; Bimbo Adekanmbi, former Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Planning under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Debo Akande, state Chairman of the Agribusiness Development Agency; and Adebo Ogundoyin, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, among others.
Ayorinde, confirming the exercise in Ibadan on Sunday, emphasized that the sessions are not a screening but an interaction to understand the aspirants’ ideas and visions for the state. He stated that nine aspirants had already engaged with the council by Saturday.
“It is not a screening exercise. It is an interaction between the advisory council and the aspirants. We do not want a situation where there will be any form of imposition from any quarter,” Ayorinde said.
He added that after the interactions, the governor would also consult other stakeholders, including party leaders and traditional rulers, to ensure the eventual candidate is widely acceptable.
“The job of the council is to advise the governor, as a listening leader who is committed to a free and fair process and a level playing field for all the aspirants,” he said.
Ayorinde explained that the idea of the interactions originated from the council and was approved by the governor as part of the state’s democratic development process. He described the sessions as rigorous and intense, noting that additional aspirants are expected to participate in the coming days.
“This is our contribution to the democratic development of our state,” he concluded.
Post comments (0)