The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the winning formula to emerge victorious in the 2027 elections in Oyo State, its governorship candidate, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, has declared.
He made the declaration, on Sunday, while speaking during an interactive session with newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday, adding that there was no issue of factionalism or wranglings within the party.
The winning formula
The Oyo PDP governorship candidate insisted that the machinery of the party remained unified, noting that it was tactically prepared, and structurally aligned to secure a decisive victory at the 2027 governorship election.
He rejected any narrative of splits between camps aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and incumbent Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, stating that the party remained a single, cohesive force in the state.
“There is no faction in the party anymore. There is nothing like Wike faction or Makinde faction. It is one PDP. The party remained one indivisible entity in Oyo State.
“I have never defected from the party to any other political platform. We still have the winning formula. Mark my word, we are going to win the governorship election in 2027,” Gbolarumi declared.
He premised his winning formula and narrative around ideological consistency and grass roots politicking, saying his unbroken allegiance to the umbrella party would pave the way for its victory in 2027.
Gbolarumi highlighted a political record entirely devoid of defection or opportunistic party switching over the decades.
“I have never for one day or one minute defected from this political party since inception,” Hazeem Gbolarumi declared.
He framed his candidacy around long-standing grassroots engagement and direct familiarity with what he described as the everyday realities facing the people in the state.
On party governance, the former deputy governor during the first 11-month of the late former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, articulated a clear boundary regarding political authority.
He stressed that holding an executive public office does not automatically confer internal party leadership on any individual.
He averred that he will always defer to institutional party structure and executive organs, adding that the two elements provided for party supremacy over and above elected individuals.
Gbolarumi clarified the dynamics of politics at the national level, and addressed the politics of alignment between the Minister of the FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the strategic engagement of Wike with the president does not translate to or constitute anti-party activities.
He said the party’s national leadership had granted its explicit consent to Wike before such support was extended, asserting that personal alignments between the two has not foreclosed the support of the party for its candidates contesting the 2027 elections at all levels, including the presidency.
He took a subtle swipe at the Governor Makinde-led administration in the state, stating that it has not put in place enough economic measures to reduce the rate of youth political unemployment in the state.
Criticising the palliative measures put in place in the state by the incumbent administration, he said the short-term palliative programmes of the administration has not been able to create jobs for the people.
Gbolarumi submitted that sustainable economic relief required structural industrial development, rather than transient financial or food distributions.
He said his administration, if elected in 2027, would pursue five agendas encompassing improved public education, healthcare delivery, structural infrastructure, and enhanced judicial system.
“Many youths are jobless,” he noted, adding that “There may not be job creation if you don’t have an industrial development vision.”
On his governorship campaign strategy, Gbolarumi said there would be a deliberate and clear shift from clientele political practices, commonly referred to as stomach infrastructure.
While acknowledging the growing influence of money politics, especially for campaign expenditures, branding and operational logistics, he rejected direct cash-for-votes or food handouts, noting that a more discerning and politically-mature electorate in the state would ensure a PDP victory in 2027.
Aligning with economic vision, Ayobami Olunloyo, the party’s candidate for the Oyo Central Senatorial District, outlined legislative reform, targeted constituency interventions, and private sector partnerships as core drivers for regional development.
He specifically advocated strategic public investments in agricultural storage infrastructure to mitigate post-harvest losses, alongside expanded vocational training programs to absorb unemployed tertiary graduates.
Oyo PDP Chairman, Professor Rahman Akinoso, also confirmed the preparedness of the party for the forthcoming elections.
He also expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the electoral body has, so far, been on schedule in the area of party membership registers and procedural preparations for upcoming elections.
