2027: Why APC, PDP declared Tinubu sole presidential candidate in Ekiti

Blueprint.ng correspondent writes on the mega rally for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election held at the Fajuyi Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.

The Ekiti wonder

The political landscape of Ekiti state ahead of the 2027 general elections appeared recently to have been a departure from the past when political parties would cling to their manifesto not minding the clog against making progress.

For the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Wole Oluyede and the state governor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives (APC) the tide has changed leading to their individual resolve to deplore their political machineries towards a common agenda – the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Across Ekiti state, quite a good number of indigenes and non indigenes are still wondering what could have brought the two political figures from different parties to coalesce at this point in time after contesting against each other during the June 20 gubernatorial election in the state.

After the fiercely contested governorship, the incumbent governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The meeting point

Unmindful of this development, the PDP governorship candidate, Dr Oluyede, had intensified mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.

At a mega rally and endorsement walk which also marked the formal unveiling of the Oluyede Progressive Alliance for Renewed Hope Agenda (OPARMA), founded by the PDP governorship candidate, he urged Ekiti people to mobilise support for the President, citing the gains of his economic polices, among other factors.

The rally which attracted thousands of Oluyede’s supporters, political leaders, stakeholders and party chieftains from across the 16 local government areas of the state, was preceded by a walk Oluyede and his supporters from Ajilosun area of the state capital to the Fajuyi Pavilion.

However, at a separate forum earlier, the PDP governorship candidate had while calling on his supporters and political associates to put aside the outcome of the 2026 Ekiti governorship election and unite behind Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.

Why Oluyede is mobilising for Tinubu

The PDP gubernatorial candidate said that his resolve to support Tinubu followed a recent communication from the presidency, during which the President appealed to him to put the bitterness of the Ekiti governorship election behind him and work with his administration.

Oluyede explained that Tinubu had urged him not to remain angry over the election, adding that the president assured him that the political differences surrounding the contest should not prevent them from working together.

Oluyede, an Australian Physician, said the alliance was being formed in the interest of the country and not for financial gains, stressing that his supporters were committed to the progress and development of Nigeria.

The PDP stalwart told the gathering that the formation of the political alliance involved the PDP, Accord, Action Democratic Party (ADP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Action Alliance (AA) and other political groups to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The PDP gubernatorial candidate said President Tinubu did not ask him to leave the PDP but rather appealed to him to work with the administration.

He also declared that the political differences between him and the state governor Oyebanji had ended, saying he was prepared to work with the governor in the interest of Tinubu’s re-election.

“I have been following Tinubu before he became the president. We were only four people who founded SWAGA. The people claiming leadership of the group were not there.

“President Bola Tinubu didn’t ask me to depart PDP. He told me, ‘Let’s work together for my re-election bid.

“Tinubu knows our worth. That’s why he’s appealing to us to support him for his re-election bid. I’m appealing to all of us, let’s forget about what happened during the Ekiti election. Let’s focus on Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“The war is over. I and Governor Biodun Oyebanji will work together for President Bola Tinubu’s election. I am no more fighting with Oyebanji. God has given him his victory.

“We are forming alliances with ADP, YPP, Accord, Action Alliance, and others for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. They are not working for the monetary aspects but for the progress of the country”, Oluyede said.

The PDP chieftain and convener of the Oluyede Progressive Alliance for Renewed Hope Agenda (OPARHA), Dr Wole Oluyede, who explained that he remained a PDP member, said his decision to work with Oyebanji in delivering landslide victory for President Tinubu is in the overall best interest of Ekiti state.

Acknowledging the leadership of Governor Oyebanji and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oluyede said their commitment to the peace, stability and development of the state had provided a basis for the people across political divides to come together in the interest of the state.

How we are mobilising for Tinubu

He said his group would embark on an aggressive grassroots mobilisation across the state, including house-to-house campaigns with a target of securing 90 percent of the votes in Ekiti for President Tinubu in the

2027 presidential election.

He also pledged to work with the governor in mobilising support across the state, saying he was prepared to contribute to efforts that would deliver a landslide victory for the president.

He assured Governor Biodun Oyebanji that members of the group and his supporters would embark on a grassroots mobilisation campaign across the 16 local government areas of the state, going from door to door to canvass votes for the President.

He said, “I want to thank the PDP for agreeing with me that we are going to support the President. My duty is to ensure that we support him in all the local governments.

“We are going to win this election with 90 per cent. We are going to work hard to make sure that we deliver 90 per cent for him.

“These people are already committed. They are going to go door to door in all the 16 local governments to canvass for the President and, on election day, they will stand by him.”

Oluyede also appealed to President Tinubu to reciprocate the support by continuing to prioritise the development of Ekiti state.

Oyebanji’s commitment to re-electing Tinubu

But Oyebanji, while addressing the ecstatic crowd of supporters at the rally was deeply excited, embraced the PDP slogan by shouting: “PDP, Power” and described the gathering as a demonstration of the ability of Ekiti people to rise above partisan differences and unite when issues concerning the development and progress of the state were at stake.

Governor Oyebanji whose second term in office inauguration would come up on October 16th, this year maintained that re-electing President Tinubu is vital to sustaining stability and attracting further development to Ekiti state.

Describing President Tinubu as the only president who had demonstrated exceptional commitment to the development of the state, the Governor cited various interventions of the federal government in the last four years and earnestly requested the good  people of the state to reciprocate by voting massively for the President in the 2027 presidential election.

While explaining that Ekiti has over one million registered voters, the governor expressed confidence that the state could deliver as many as 900,000 votes for the president in the 2027 presidential election, particularly with the president emerging as the sole presidential candidate being supported across the state.

Oyebanji – our shared love for state development

Governor Oyebanji also expressed his appreciation to Dr Oluyede for prioritizing Ekiti development above partisan politics by supporting President Tinubu.

He said their shared love for the development, peace and progress of the state remained the bond that united him and oluyede beyond political difference.

Explaining why re-electing the president was crucial to Ekiti development agenda, the governor said “Ekiti will be 30 years in two days, what is happening today speaks to the aspiration of our founding fathers of the state. I was the secretary of that committee and in all our meetings, our fathers will say, we desire Ekiti where all of us will be one and nothing will divide us.

“Let me explain to you why returning Asiwaju is so critical to us in Ekiti. Asiwaju’s victory is very important to us because in our 30 years of history, there is no president that has been so good to us like this president. In less than four years of his administration, we were able to complete Ado – Ifaki road, Ado Akure road has been completed, work is currently going on on Itaore-Aramoko-Ado road and Ado Ijan Ilumoba road.

“Dr Oluyede has said that we will give the President 900,000 votes and with what I am seeing here today and with what you can do, we should be able to give Asiwaju 900,000 votes because we only have two parties in this state, APC and PDP and we have all made up our mind that we are going to vote for Asiwaju”.

Oyebanji said the political alliance was significant because it showed that political differences should not be allowed to undermine the collective interest of Ekiti people.

He commended Oluyede and his supporters for putting aside partisan differences and joining the campaign for Tinubu’s re-election.

The governor said: “I am grateful for your generosity of spirit. I am grateful for your love for Ekiti. I am grateful for your commitment to peace and I am grateful because I know your capacity.

“We had an election in Ekiti State and there was no violence. Nobody was killed. I give God all the glory.

“Ekiti will be 30 years old in two days. What is happening today speaks to the aspirations of the founding fathers of the state when they were fighting for state creation.”

Oyebanji recalled that during the struggle for the creation of Ekiti State, the founding fathers emphasised unity among the people, irrespective of political, religious or other differences.

He said the development was particularly important because it demonstrated that Ekiti people could work together despite belonging to different political parties.

According to him, the 2027 presidential election should be approached as a collective effort by members of the APC and PDP who support Tinubu, urging them to work together at the ward and local government levels.

The governor said Tinubu’s re-election was critical to the continued development of Ekiti state, citing federal projects and support which, according to him, had impacted positively on the state.

Oyebanji said, “There has never been a President, living or dead, that has been so good to the people of Ekiti state than this.

“You voted for me and he is supporting me. He also said that you should vote for him and that he will ensure that Ekiti develops.”

He urged APC members across the state to cooperate with members of the Oluyede-led alliance and avoid unnecessary rivalry at the grassroots.

Oyebanji said there should be no hostility between APC and PDP members supporting Tinubu, advising them to organise joint meetings and rallies where necessary.

He said the collaboration between him and Oluyede should serve as an example to politicians in the state on the importance of cooperation, peace and putting the interest of the people above partisan considerations.

The governor also used the forum to urge supporters of the alliance to mobilise voters at the grassroots, saying the success of the campaign would depend largely on their ability to bring supporters to the polling units on election day.

Oyebanji added that the alliance was an indication that political leaders could put aside personal ambitions and differences when the broader interests of the people were at stake.