Kwara PDP must field winnable candidate for Irepodun/Ekiti/Isin/Oke-Ero Reps seat, group says

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has been urged to prioritise electability and grassroots acceptance in selecting its candidate for the Irepodun/Ekiti/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The call was made by the Harry Ilori 2027 Project, led by a former chairman of the PDP in Ekiti Local Government Area, Alhaji Ganiyu Raji Adeshina.

Adeshina said the group’s agitation was not a blanket demand for the House of Representatives ticket to be zoned to Ekiti Local Government, but a call for the party to consider Dr Harry Ilori, whom he described as a candidate with strong grassroots support and broad acceptability.

He recalled that Ekiti Local Government had stepped aside in the 2019 and 2023 elections to allow Oke-Ero produce the party’s candidate, but said the arrangement did not result in victory for the PDP.

“There is no bad aspirant in this race, but the party must pick the one with the strongest capacity to win,” Adeshina said.

He appealed to the state PDP chairman, Hon. Issa Adamu Bawa, and the party’s national leader, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to assess the aspirants based on their ability to win the election.

Also speaking, Hon. Tunde Adeyemi, secretary of the Harry Ilori 2027 Project and former Supervisory Councillor for Isapa Ward, said party members, particularly youths who had invested their time and resources in the PDP, could not afford another campaign built around a candidate without sufficient electoral strength.

Adeyemi described Ilori as accessible, experienced and connected to the electorate, saying such qualities were necessary to translate the party’s structure into votes.

The group also welcomed the emergence of Engr. Kale Kawu and his running mate, Rev. Cornelius Olaosebikan Fawenu, as the PDP’s governorship candidates for the 2027 election.

It described Ilori’s candidacy as part of what it called a broader and potentially winnable PDP ticket ahead of the election.

The group called on stakeholders in Ekiti Local Government, the Kwara South Senatorial leadership, the State Working Committee and the party’s national leadership to prioritise unity, credibility and electability over sectional interests in choosing the House of Representatives candidate.

“It is time for Kwara PDP to win again. The people’s interest must come first, and 2027 must be about victory and effective representation,” the group said.