Human Rights
Ekiti North 2027: People Will Vote Credibility, Not Party — Osinkolu
By Joseph Sunday
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Ekiti North Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, Hon. Olusegun Osinkolu, has said the people of the district will vote for credibility and not party, expressing optimism about his chances at the poll.
Osinkolu, who spoke in an interview on Thursday evening, said his campaign has been well received across the district.
“The campaign is going on very well. I’m quite encouraged. Although I still have more work to do, the turnout has been impressive,” he said.
The senatorial candidate said he has toured all five local governments that make up Ekiti North Senatorial District, noting that his over a decade in the race has made him a familiar face to the electorate.
“I have gone to the five local governments. I’ve been in this race for over a decade now. So, everywhere I went, everybody knows me. They show me love. I just hope that all the love they show me will translate to votes,” he stated.
Osinkolu attributed his emergence as the party’s candidate to divine arrangement, describing his journey to the ticket as seamless.
“From how I got the form, I didn’t get it myself, somebody got it for me. How Governor Fayose helped me to secure the ticket without contesting. I just found myself in PDP. It wasn’t something that was pre-planned, things were just falling in place on their own,” he said.
He disclosed that he has been receiving goodwill even from members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, a party he recently left.
“I thought they would be hostile, considering that I just left their party, but even the APC members are showing me more love than I had expected,” he added.
On feedback from the electorate, Osinkolu said the dominant message has been ‘Emi Lokan’, a Yoruba phrase meaning “It’s my turn.”
“Everywhere I go, they are just saying, it’s my turn, it’s my turn. If I go by the way they have received me, honestly, it will be a no contest. But I know elections are not that straightforward,” he said.
Addressing questions about his political alignment with Dr. Oluyede, who obtained his nomination form for him but he is now working with the incumbent government in Ekiti State, Osinkolu said their paths have diverged due to circumstances.
“Don’t forget that working with the governor does not mean he is working for the governor. I am PDP 101%, but circumstances have led me to move with PDP. People are not just closing their eyes, they are putting circumstances before party. PDP does not mean that I cannot vote for someone I see that is good or that has credibility. People are going for credibility,” he explained.
Reacting to the alignment of some PDP leaders who have directed their followers to work for President Bola Tinubu in the presidential election, Osinkolu maintained that such cross-party activities will not hurt the PDP’s chances.
“There are people in PDP working for APC. At the moment, people are looking at the individuals that are contesting, they are looking at their pedigree before deciding who to vote for. It’s about who can deliver,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged the challenge posed by the presidential and National Assembly elections holding on the same day, saying voter education will be critical.
“That’s the challenge that we all have at the moment. We need to begin to educate our people, particularly the elderly ones, so that they don’t get confused. Because there is a lot of cross-party voting this time, there is going to be a lot of education before the election,” he said.
When asked if he has a vote target like Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s reported target of 900,000 votes for President Tinubu, Osinkolu affirmed that he has a clear numerical target, though he did not disclose the figure.
“I have votes that I’m targeting, because I know the number of votes I roughly want to have,” he concluded.
