Next Year: Nine Contenders from the Peoples Democratic Party Vie for Oyo State Governorship Nomination

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has assigned his advisory council the task of identifying suitable candidates from among the Peoples Democratic Party aspirants vying for the 2027 governorship election.

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This move, as revealed by an investigation, involves the council, which is led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Bolaji Ayorinde, engaging with all governorship aspirants under the PDP umbrella to provide recommendations for a candidate, thus continuing the Omituntun 3.0 initiative.

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Makinde's decision aims to give all aspirants a fair chance to showcase their plans and ideas, ensuring equal opportunities for all, and invitation letters have been sent to all aspirants in this regard.

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Some of the aspirants who have responded to the invitation include Adedeji Olajide, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ibadan South-West/North-East, also known as Odidiomo, as well as Nureni Adeniran, the State Chairman of Universal Basic Education.

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Other responding aspirants include Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Planning during the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi's administration, Debo Akande, the state Chairman of the Agribusiness Development Agency, and Adebo Ogundoyin, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, among others.

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Ayorinde confirmed the development in Ibadan, the state capital, on Sunday, stating that the exercise is not a screening of candidates but rather an interaction to understand their plans for the state.

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By the close of Saturday's session, nine aspirants had interacted with the council, according to Ayorinde, who emphasized that the goal is to prevent any imposition from any quarter.

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The council, under Ayorinde's chairmanship, is engaging with all aspirants to understand their plans for the state, with the cooperation of the governor, and all aspirants have been invited and have responded individually.

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Ayorinde described the aspirants as "fantastic" and expressed optimism that the governor would still engage other stakeholders, including party leaders and traditional rulers, to seek their views before any candidate emerges.

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The council's role is to advise the governor, and it has no authority to discredit or disqualify any aspirant, Ayorinde reiterated, adding that the council's job is to ensure a free and fair process and a level playing field for all aspirants.

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Ayorinde explained that the idea of the interaction was conceived by the council and approved by the governor, noting that it is the council's contribution to the democratic development of the state.

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Once the council completes its task, it will write and send its report to the governor, and Ayorinde is confident that the governor will then engage all other stakeholders to ensure the chosen candidate is widely acceptable.

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Ayorinde emphasized that the council is not screening or interrogating the aspirants but rather having discussions to understand their ideas, visions, and programs for the state after Governor Makinde.

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As of now, nine aspirants have appeared before the council, with the possibility of a few more coming forward, and the process has been rigorous, with intense and deep engagement, according to Ayorinde.

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Ayorinde confirmed that the governor approved the idea, saying that if he did not like it, he would not have allowed it to proceed, and the governor wants all aspirants to have an equal chance to present and promote themselves openly.