The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Barrister Hazeem Gbolarunmi, has declared that the party has overcome its internal divisions, insisting that there is no longer any “Wike faction” or “Makinde faction” in the state chapter.
Gbolarunmi made the declaration while speaking with journalists and party stakeholders, as he outlined his vision for the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The candidate, who said he had remained a member of the PDP since its formation, maintained that the party was now united and focused on the elections.
“There is no faction in the party anymore. There is nothing like Wike faction or Makinde faction. It is one PDP now,” he said.
“I have never for one day or one minute defected from this political party since inception.”
Gbolarunmi, who described himself as a grassroots politician, said his long-standing relationship with the people would influence his approach to governance if elected.
“I am a grass-rooter. Others are not. I live with my people at the grassroots. I always come to the people’s level,” he said.
He said his administration would focus on education, infrastructure, healthcare, justice and equity, stressing that his ambition was being pursued through the platform and established structure of the PDP.
The governorship candidate also spoke on the relationship between elected office holders and the political party, rejecting the belief that becoming governor automatically makes an individual the leader of the party.
“I don’t believe in being the governor automatically makes you the leader of the party. We need to respect the party leaders and structure,” he said.
According to him, elected representatives must remain accountable to the party and its objectives, while the party would work towards the success of its candidates across different levels of government.
He added that the party would also seek to deliver its presidential candidate in the 2027 election.
Wike’s Tinubu support
On former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s relationship with the PDP, Gbolarunmi said Wike’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu did not, in his view, amount to anti-party activity.
“Wike is not anti-party. The party had a nod before he went to support Tinubu. That he is willing to retain his support is personal to you. He didn’t say he won’t support our candidates at other levels,” he said.
Gbolarunmi’s comments come against the background of the political disagreements that had previously divided prominent PDP members into camps associated with Wike and Governor Seyi Makinde.
He, however, insisted that the Oyo PDP had moved beyond the factional differences and was now concentrating on the 2027 elections.
‘Many Oyo youths are jobless’
Turning to the economy, unemployment and youth development, the PDP candidate criticised what he described as inadequate economic empowerment opportunities for young people in the state.
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He said thousands of youths had graduated from tertiary institutions or acquired vocational skills but were still without jobs or the resources required to establish businesses.
“Many youths are jobless. They have graduated. What are we doing about that? Our youths need to be empowered. Some of them have skills,” he said.
Gbolarunmi said youth empowerment should not be limited to the distribution of cash, arguing that strategic support for small businesses could create a chain of employment.
He said a young entrepreneur who received the necessary support to establish a viable business could in turn employ other people.
The candidate also linked the unemployment situation to the need for an industrial development policy capable of attracting companies and creating sustainable employment.
“There may not be job creation if you don’t have an industrial development vision. Most of our youths are ready to work but have no job,” he said.
He said his administration, if elected, would therefore seek to create an environment where businesses could thrive and young people could deploy their skills productively.
‘Let the people rate Makinde’s administration’
Asked to assess the performance of the incumbent administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, Gbolarunmi declined to give his own rating, saying the people of the state were in the best position to judge the government.
“As regards rating the administration, I allow the masses to rate,” he said.
He also ruled out using the distribution of money and food as the major strategy for his campaign, describing what is popularly referred to as “stomach infrastructure” as an inadequate approach to addressing the needs of the people.
According to him, campaign spending would be necessary for publicity, branding and mobilisation, but he would not use money or food to induce voters.
“Money is not everything. We won’t share money to people. We won’t do that. It’s normal we spend money for branding, campaigns and awareness, but not stomach infrastructure,” he said.
He further criticised the practice of politicians returning to communities during election periods with food items and cash after allegedly failing to deliver meaningful development while in office.
“You have been given the opportunity to serve without doing anything and you are coming back to cajole us with rice and beans. It’s unfair,” he said.
Olunloyo seeks industrial investment, stronger legislation
Also speaking at the interaction, the PDP candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Hon. Ayobami Olunloyo, identified legislation, constituency projects and investment attraction as key areas through which the state could tackle its economic challenges.
Olunloyo said effective legislation could provide the framework for attracting new industries while also protecting businesses already operating in the state.
He called for greater attention to agriculture, particularly the provision of communal storage facilities that would enable farmers to preserve their produce and reduce losses before taking their goods to the market.
According to him, improving agricultural storage would help farmers get better value for their produce and strengthen the state’s agricultural economy.
On constituency projects, Olunloyo advocated increased investment in education and vocational training, saying academic qualifications alone were not enough to prepare young people for the changing economy.
He said government must provide opportunities for people to acquire practical and vocational skills that could make them self-reliant and improve their chances of employment.
Olunloyo also stressed the need for deliberate efforts to attract private-sector investment to Oyo State, saying government should create the right conditions for companies to establish businesses and expand their operations.
PDP assures members of structure
The meeting was attended by the PDP State Chairman, Prof. Rahman Akinoso; Organising Secretary, Olaniyi Stephen; State Working Committee Auditor, Hon. Ajagbe Oladotun; representative of Ibadan South-East II, Taiwo Jimoh, popularly known as Solution; Chairman, Forum of Local Government Chairmen, Hon. Abiola Jimoh; and Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Chesterfield Efe.
The party leadership also spoke on its preparations for the 2027 elections, with the state chairman giving assurances on the party’s membership structure and mobilisation.
The chairman indicated that members of the party had been uploaded in the relevant electoral process, describing the development as part of the preparations to strengthen the party ahead of the elections.
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